Poulet Breton
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This poulet Breton recipe from chef Steve Groves is a fine example of traditional French cookery. Chicken pieces are simmered in a sauce flavoured with cider, crème fraiche and mustard. This dish is best cooked in a single pan to retain all of the flavours, and it’s best to keep all the chicken pieces on the bone, as this means the meat will be moister and the sauce more flavourful. Serve with some potatoes on the side for a full meal.
Ingredients
- 1 free-range chicken , jointed into 2 thighs, 2 drumsticks, 4 wing joints and 4 breast pieces
- oil, for frying
- 30g of unsalted butter
- 1 sprig of fresh thyme
- 2 carrots , peeled and cut into 2cm chunks
- 4 leeks , cut into 2cm rounds
- 1 medium onion , diced
- 15g of plain flour
- 300ml of dry cider
- 100g of crème fraîche
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- parsley , to garnish
Method
1
Preheat an oven to 170°C/gas mark 3. Place a large ovenproof pan or casserole dish over a medium-high heat, then add a splash of oil. Season the chicken pieces all over with salt and pepper, then add to the pan until golden all over. You want to caramelise the chicken relatively slowly, especially on the skin, to get a good, deep flavour. If the pan is too hot it will scorch the meat and ruin the flavour of the sauce
- oil, for frying
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 free-range chicken , jointed into 2 thighs, 2 drumsticks, 4 wing joints and 4 breast pieces
2
Once the chicken pieces are coloured, add the butter and thyme. Once the butter is melted, baste the chicken repeatedly for a couple of minutes, then remove the meat from the pan and set aside on a plate
- 30g of unsalted butter
- 1 sprig of fresh thyme
3
Add the leeks, onion and carrots to the pan and cook for 5 minutes until beginning to soften. Stir the flour in so it absorbs the fat, then gradually stir the cider into the pan, ensuring the flour doesn’t form lumps. Increase the heat to high and reduce the cider by two-thirds
- 4 leeks , cut into 2cm rounds
- 1 medium onion , diced
- 2 carrots , peeled and cut into 2cm chunks
- 15g of plain flour
- 300ml of dry cider
4
Add the crème fraiche and bring the mixture to the boil, then stir in the mustard and arrange the chicken pieces over the top, skin-side up. Transfer to the oven and cook uncovered for 20–25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Garnish with parsley and serve straight from the casserole dish at the table with potatoes of your choice
- 100g of crème fraîche
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- parsley , to garnish
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Poulet Breton
