Chicken Thighs Normande

Method

Put the leeks, bacon and garlic into a roasting tin. Pour in the cider and place the chicken thighs on top. Sprinkle with thyme and the seasoning. Roast in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until the chicken is tender and cooked through. Remove the chicken, bacon and vegetables from the pan and keep them warm. Spoon off any excess fat from the roasting tin and then boil up the remaining cooking juices on the hob, until they are reduced by roughly a half. Stir in the crème fraîche and heat gently. Pour some sauce on to each of the plates, arrange the bacon, vegetables and the chicken thighs on top and serve hot, with whatever you choose. It sounds good to me. Do let me know how it works out, if you try it out before I do.

While jotting down the method for the above recipe, I took another from Shirley’s notebook, which looked good, though I haven’t yet tried it out – under the heading of Chicken thighs normande.

I guess I’m not surprised that those barbecue ideas did not come flooding in from you folks, though I did cook outside on one (probably the only) really warm day and used an idea for kebabs from another brilliant cook-friend in France – Geneviève. She grilled pieces of duck, fresh apricots and small onions together on skewers: a surprisingly good combination. If we get another nice enough day, I think I shall try the same again, but substituting the duck pieces with cubes of chicken thigh meat. In the meantime, dear readers, enjoy whatever sunshine comes your way, and happy cooking from Mrs Trewhitless!

Feedback from Irene

I cooked the Chicken Normande yesterday which we both enjoyed, the leeks just soak up the cider. The recipe did say that the leeks should be thinly sliced and I don’t think mine were fine enough. So I would say to anyone going to try this recipe, not to be in too much of a hurry in the preparation (as I was) but to almost shred the leeks. A very nice meal, and all the more enjoyable with a glass of cider (well, you have to use up the rest of the flagon).

Mrs Trewhitless