Chicken Normandy: A Very Good Idea

I've taken a lot of detours as of late with my "Italian blog." This is my last detour for a bit and I promise you that you will enjoy the journey. It's a side tripe to France - home of sauces that should be served with cholesterol warnings (unless you're French - the sauces don't seem to affect their cholesterol) - home of women who learn to wear scarves before they can walk - home of Monet, Renoir, Impressionism and all things pretty. 

With Calvados, apples, cream and chicken - you have the perfect bridge from autumn to winter. Plus it's Dorie Greenspan's recipe from Around My French Table and when Dorie is your guide, you know you will eat well. It's a worthy addition to any Holiday Wish List (shhh .... I know it's early November). Plus Calvados is always a good idea. Calvados is an apple-brandy that hails from Normandy and a small shot of it during a chilly eve works as well as a fireplace to lull you into thinking you love the winter cold. You may use another apple brandy or even apple cider.

It comes together surprisingly fast (my mantra now that I am a woman "of a certain age").

Chicken, Apples and Cream a la Normande

Chicken Normandy

Ingredients
flour for dredging seasoned with salt and pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts at room temperature (Patted down a bit if thick; I used six)
1-2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large apple, peeled, cored and cut into 1 inch chunks) (I used 2 medium MN apples sliced thinly and cored but not peeled)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
8 mushrooms (thinly sliced; I sometimes omit)
1/3 cup chicken broth (I use more)
2 tablespoons Calvados, apple jack or brandy (or cider)
2/3 cup heavy cream (I use a little less)
My addition: fresh thyme sprigs to finish

Preparation

1. Put the seasoned flour in a shallow bowl and dredge the chicken in it, shaking off any excess.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter (I almost always combine the two even when seemingly unnecessary) in a large deep skillet. If the pan isn't large enough for all the chicken, brown the chicken in batches.

3. Cook each side approximately 3 minutes until they are browned.

4. If needed, add in the other tablespoon of oil and tablespoon of butter (I always need). Leaving the chicken in the pan, add in the mushrooms (if using), onions and apples. If the pan won't hold everything, you can briefly take out the chicken while you sauté the mushrooms, onions and apples. Make sure everything is coated with the oil-butter mixture. Saute for 1 minute and then add in the broth. When the broth boils, reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for about ten minutes. (Tines will vary depending on the thickness of chicken.)

5. Increase the heat and add in the Calvados (if you're feeling very ooh la la Normandie - use a little more). Boil until it is just about evaporated - about 1 minute.

6. Add the cream and with the heat still high, let the cream boil down about 1/4 - about 3-5 minutes.

7. Adjust seasonings, arrange on platter and serve. I finish it with some fresh thyme.

And now it's your turn - serve it with rice, sautéed spinach or crusty bread - what you think is a good idea.

We've had a blissfully warm autumn. Those of us in Minnesota look to El Nino for "short winters" (under 7 months). There is dancing in the streets when the words "El Nino" first appear in the summertime. Yes, the photo below was taken in mid-October, but I am still am amazed that I have geraniums, petunias, shrub roses, sage, thyme, parsley, bridal veils and other assorted happy plants.

Our patio days are numbered, but the "good ideas" are in full force. A fire on the patio is always a good idea. Calvados remains a good idea.

There have been many family discussions as of late. Matthew is poised to get his doctorate in April/May 2016. He has been "job" searching (for a post-doc). (And obsessing. He is his mother's son after all.) And last week, his number one choice came through and he accepted a two-year position at IPK in Gatersleben, Germany. It's a world-class lab for his work (plant pathologist). My "little guy." Living and working in Europe. Such a good idea.

And below:

He came to us exactly one year ago. Cioppino-Pino-Bambino was a very good idea. The days may be shorter, but November is filled with good ideas.

Around my French Table

No, I haven't gone over to the "dark side." I am still an Italian cook. But once in a while you need a day trip. Although having now read all of the recipes in Dorie Greenspan's sumptuous Around My French Table, I know I will be taking lots of day trips. Maybe a weekend - you know I might just stay for a week.

Last night's dinner. Healthy, easy and filled with simple, French flavor. A beautiful welcoming green broccoli soup, a festive Salad Nicoise and a mustard tart graced the table. As I am surrounded by snowy whites, the deep green of the soup warmed me. It's rich, thick broccoli-zucchini flavor brought me back to a Minnesota enveloped in summer.

The Salad Nicoise with its simple vinaigrette was a taste celebration. I added tomatoes for color and relished in the soft, pliable hard-boiled egg, the sea-tasting tuna, the crunch of the just-yielding string beans. A few salty capers and piquant nicoise olives with with mild potatoes satisfied in a way that only a properly attired salad can.

Even when it's fifteen degrees out, this salad brings solace.

Just the notion of a mustard tart warms my savory soul. The use of a smooth Dijon mustard as well as a grainy one provided zest without sharpness. Mellowing the mustard are the sweet carrots on top of aromatic leeks. The original recipe was given to Dorie by Gerard Jeannin and she describes it as "creamy and piquant, comforting and surprising." And so it is. Dorie also mentions that it is not as well known as it should be. I suspect that's about to change.

I promise you that after you make it once, a second one will soon follow. Find the recipe here.

Around my French Table contains over 300 recipes that are French or French inspired. They've been adapted to meet the needs of busy American cooks. The ingredients are accessible. When she does use a hard-to-find French ingredient, she suggests an American substitute. For many recipes there is a "Bon Idee" (I wish my computer did proper accents). It is one of my favorite parts. In that small column, she suggests other ingredients, alternative ways of making the dish and encourages you to play with the recipes.

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I chose these three recipes quite frankly because I had all the ingredients at hand. The level of difficulty for all three was easy. I expect some will be moderately more difficult although as I read the book, I did not come across any recipe that I felt was out of my grasp.

What is inspiring is the playfulness of Dorie's cooking. Fresh, artfully arranged ingredients that are elevated through nuances of herbs, seasonings and adherence to cooking methods. The broccoli soup is one of three simple soup recipes, Dorie has grouped together. Find the recipe here. (I added a shallot - I don't think Dorie would mind.)

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Each recipe provides suggestions for serving and storing. The book is a storehouse of hints and suggestions. Backgrounds of recipes are included - which always intrigues me. For every recipe is a story and Around My French Table contains a wealth of stories - to peruse, to investigate, to explore and to feast.

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Put this on your holiday wish list. It's been two years since I cooked my way through a book and that drought has now ended. For the time being I am content to live on the border between Italy and France and embrace the best of both worlds.

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I have a list of cookbooks I would like to embrace. Where do you get your cookbooks? Do you belong to a club? Buy from Amazon? Barnes and Noble? Do you haunt used book stores, cooking stores?

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And a touch of sweetness to end - I would like to thank Beth from Of Muses and Meringues for this lovely award. Beth is a writer and a cook and her delicately-named blog is indeed filled with muses and puffs of sweetness and insights. Please visit her and say hello.