What comes to your mind when you hear Normandy, France: the haunting ancient monastery of Mont St. Michel? No doubt the infamous beaches come to mind. Perhaps you think of Bayeux, the first city to be liberated in WWII? Or if you enjoy the arts you may think of the famous impressionist art of Deauville, Le Havre and Trouville? I actually think of all these things and much more. See, I am transfixed with Normandy; but nothing transports me to this robust region more so than its food. And it all started with Francois Meumnier’s Cours de Cuisine, a cooking class I took one autumn during my time in France many moons ago. Let’s take a cook’s quick tour…
One of the grand cuisines of France, Norman cooking has a hardy and distinct identity that is both varied and rich, composed primarily of fowl, seafood, meat, cream, butter, and orchard fruits. The bountiful coastline provides fresh seafood fruits de mer including a large supply of delicious oysters and mussels. Cattle are served as veal, from the male calves, then as beef when more mature. Pré-salé (or pre-salted) lamb is a particular specialty of the western coast. Raised on the salt marshes and meadows of the coastal ports this lamb is an amazingly tender meat with a distinct flavor of the coast, and oh, so easy to work with. Fowl is commonly sautéed, braised and stewed.
Butter, rather under appreciated by many cooks, is an art perfected by the Norman farmer. Did you know that in France butter is actually known by “crus”, just like wines and champagnes? The AOC of Isigny is particularly renowned for its butter and cream production. Pairing the right butter to your dish, can be just as important as pairing the right beverage. Who knew!
Ah, but my favorite… cheese. Like everywhere in France, cheese is very serious business in Normandy whose tradition began in the monasteries during the Dark Ages. Such Norman delectable’s include Pont l'Evêque, which is square in shape with a washed crust, full-bodied, rich and soft but not runny and Camembert, similar to Brie, though formed into smaller wheels and perhaps has a slightly more robust flavor. Both of these cheeses are at their best eaten unadorned and served at room temperature. Find the cheese at its peak of ripeness and you might even taste the salty grassy essence of the Norman countryside.
You may find this surprising for a large area in France, but there is not a single vineyard in this region. There are only orchards producing delicious fruits such as apples and pears that are used to make a variety of Cider and Brandy known as Calvados. The locals take great pride in creating their unique selection; some producers may even incorporate as many as 100 different varieties of fruit that they harvest between October and mid-December. Le trou normand, a shot of Calvados, is traditionally served after the fish course and before the meat course in order to clear the palate. Additionally, Calvados is often used in cooking to add a savory depth to chicken, veal and pork dishes. Moreover, the orchard fruits are featured in a number of dessert dishes the most ubiquitous, no doubt, is the upside-down apple tart or Tarte des Soeurs Tatin.
There are so many wonderful dishes from this region that I want to share with you; however, the one dish that I think incorporates the best of this region using ingredients commonly available in this country is Chicken with Apples & Calvados. This is an adaptation of Francoise Meunier’s Guinea hen Flambee au Calvados.
flavor is the fastest form of transportation,
Tasty Traveler
Normandy Chicken with Apples & Calvados
This recipe captures the essence of Normandy, France as it contains many of the quintessential ingredients of this rich and varied region such as apples, cider, Calvados (Apple Brandy), and butter.
Ingredients:
1 3lb. organic chicken, cut into 6 pieces
7 slices of bacon
1 small glass or 3 tablespoons of Calvados
1.1 lbs. apples (boskoop, golden or red delicious)
1/4 cup butter (recommend regional variety such as Isigny)
1/2 cup crème fraiche
1 cup cider
salt and freshly milled pepper
Directions:
1. Ask the butcher to cut the chicken into 6 pieces. Wrap each piece with a slice of bacon.
2. In a heavy frying pan, melt a slice of butter. Add the pieces of the chicken and brown on all sides.
Add salt and pepper.
3. With a large lid nearby to extinguish the fire if necessary, flambé the Calvados by adding the apple
brandy to the pan, ignite the fumes over the liquid with a long match or gas flame, then let cook until
the flame disappears.
4. Butter the inside, sides and bottom of a medium-sized ceramic terrine or dutch oven. Peel and cut
the apples into quarters. Salt and pepper them and place into terrine. Place the meat on top of the
apples and top with last piece of bacon. Place into a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.
5. While the chicken is cooking, into a bowl blend the cider, crème fraiche, salt and pepper.
6. Just before serving, add the contents of the bowl to the terrine and place in the oven for an
additional 5 minutes to thoroughly heat through. Remove top slice of bacon and serve directly from
the terrine.
7. Recommend serving with fresh baguette, butter, and a tall glass of cider.
Chicken with Apples and Calvados.pdf (156.53 kb)
