This is what you want to serve if you’re having a holiday dinner party so welcome your guests with something different. Calvados Chicken is a quick but elegant saute with all those things that warm you up and deeply satisfy your taste buds.
With cream, apples, mushrooms, and Calvados (apple brandy) you have something that’s rich and filling and relatively fool proof.
Prep Tips
The key to success with this is browning the chicken without overcooking it. So you’ll want to brown it so it develops a nice crust on the skin then set it aside. To do this let the butter get bubbly then put the chicken in skin side down and then don’t move it. After a couple of minutes shake the pan gently and if it’s browned it should release on its own. You should then turn it and cook on the other side then remove.
Next you’ll brown the apple slices in the same pan and set them aside when they start to color. Follow them up with the mushrooms and shallots.
Then mix together the Calvados, chicken broth, heavy cream, cornstarch and water and pour over the mushrooms and shallots. Stir over a medium heat until thickened and then carefully lower the chicken (skin side up) into the cream sauce which should not cover the chicken (if you want that nice brown crust to be visible). This will allow the chicken skin to retain its crunch and it will look better when it’s plated.
You may stir in the apples with the sauce but I like to leave them out of the sauce and serve them on the plate next to the chicken but either way is fine.
Sides & Serving it up
Since this dish is rich I always pair it with some steamed veg like the asparagus here and/or a salad and rolls.
And there you have it. All the flavors of the fall season to keep you warm and satisfied.
- For the Chicken:
- 2 lbs. boneless skin on chicken breasts*
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 medium apples, peeled and cut into slices
- 1 box mushrooms, quartered
- ⅓ cup shallots, or one large shallot diced
- For the sauce:
- ¼ cup Calvados
- 1 cup Chicken broth (1 can)
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
- For the garnish:
- garnish with chopped parsley & paprika
- Melt the butter in a skillet and brown the chicken over medium heat. Set aside. It won't be cooked through. You will finish in the final sauce.
- In the same pan brown apple chunks for a few minutes. Remove & set aside.
- Saute mushrooms and shallots till golden for a few minutes.
- Stir in the chicken broth, cream & Calvados until well combined then add the cornstarch mixture and cook over low flame until slightly thickened.
- Now replace the chicken breasts (skin side up) & apples and cook over a low flame for about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Remove chicken and slice diagonally if using breasts.
- Pour sauce over the chicken and garnish with minced parsley and a bit of paprika.
White meat gets overcooked fast, so make sure the final cook in the broth never comes to more than a simmer. When you remove the breast, slice into the middle first. If it’s still pink put it back in the pan for a few….but careful not to overcook.