Breton chicken with lardons and apple cider
Ingredients
Instructions
Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta or bacon and cook until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the fat in the pan.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook until browned on all sides. Transfer to a pan, add the broth, cover ant take to the boil. Cover the pan and simmer the chicken until nearly done, 45-60 minutes depending on the size of the pieces. The broth should be nearly gone.
While the chicken is cooking, add the leeks and garlic to the skillet and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the Dijon mustard and cider. Simmer for a minute or two to reduce slightly. Stir in the heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Stir in the cooked bacon and parsley. Pour the sauce over the chicken and cook 15-20 minutes more, until the chicken is tender.
Serve the breton chicken immediately.
Notes
Serve with over mashed potatoes or rice.
You can use boneless, skinless chicken breast or chicken thighs, diced, instead of whole chicken pieces. In this case, the chicken not need simmering in broth. Brown thoroughly the chicken in the skillet, add leeks and garlic and go on with the sauce. The chicken will finish cooking in the sauce.
If you don't have white wine or cider, you can substitute chicken broth or vegetable broth.
You can use half-and-half or even whole milk instead of heavy cream, but the sauce will be thinner.
You can add grated cheese to the sauce, stirring until melted and the sauce is thickened. Feel free to experiment with different types of cheese, such as Gruyère, Emmental, or a mix of Cheddar and Parmesan.
Variations
Substitute cider with white wine. If you don't have white wine or cider, you can substitute chicken broth or vegetable broth.
You can use half-and-half or even whole milk instead of heavy cream, but the sauce will be thinner.
You can add grated cheese to the sauce, stirring until melted and the sauce is thickened. Feel free to experiment with different types of cheese, such as Gruyère, Emmental, or a mix of Cheddar and Parmesan.
Source
Food in Europe