Braised Chicken Thighs Normandy is a fancy name for a simple dish of chicken cooked with apples and onions. Nonetheless, the dish is rich, creamy, and incredibly delicious. The chicken thighs stay moist and tender, with plenty of sauce to spoon over noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes. In addition to fresh apples, the recipe includes applesauce, which intensifies the apple taste and provides richness and sweetness without the use of a lot of heavy cream. Apple cider vinegar in the sauce adds a little bite, and thyme and cinnamon enhance the tastes of the other ingredients without overpowering them. You can use whatever apples you have on hand, but the dish works especially well with sweet-tart apples like Braeburns or Galas.
Braised Chicken Thighs Normandy -- Serves 4+
1 tablespoon of canola oil
6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat (1 1/2 - 2 pounds)
1/3 cup of flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
1 medium onion, chopped (about a cup)
2-3 medium apples, peeled and chopped into 1/2-1-inch pieces (about 2 1/2
cups)
1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 cups of reduced sodium chicken broth (or 1 1/4 cups of boiling water
mixed with 1 1/4 teaspoons of reduced sodium chicken "Better Than
Bullion")
1 teaspoon of thyme
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 cup of light sour cream
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. Place the chicken thighs, flour, salt, and pepper in a large plastic bag. Secure the top of the bag and gently shake the bag to coat the chicken thighs with the flour mixture. When the pan and oil are hot, add the chicken to the pan. Brown the chicken for 5 minutes, then flip it and brown the other side for 5 minutes. Move the chicken to the sides of the pan and add the onion and apples to the center of the pan. Let the onions and apples cook a few minutes to soften them. Then add the applesauce, cider vinegar, broth, thyme, and cinnamon to the pan stirring everything gently to combine the ingredients. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn the heat down to a gentle simmer and partially cover the pan. Let the mixture cook for about 20 minutes, stirring it periodically, or until the chicken has cooked through. Remove the cover from the pan and let mixture cook for 5-10 minutes to thicken the sauce. Turn off the heat and stir in the sour cream. Serve the chicken thighs with the sauce atop noodles, rice, potatoes, or the starch of your choice.
