Cooking Steps

• Turn the oven on to 180C/350F.
• Pat dry chicken legs and thighs with a paper towel and salt all over.
• In a large casserole dish brown the chicken parts in 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat until golden. Remove to a separate platter and set aside.
• Discard the chicken fat or reserve it for another use if desired.
• Fry the bacon lardons over medium heat until the fat is rendered. Remove the bacon to the same platter as browned chicken.
• To the same pan add the shallots and celery with 2 sprigs of thyme and cook over low heat until soft but not colored for 5-7 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds while stirring.
• Add the brandy and stir while scraping the bottom of the pan with a spatula. Continue cooking until the alcohol burns out.
• Add the flour and stir until combined with the fat to form a paste, then slowly add the chicken stock, stirring until it resembles thick gravy. Pour in the apple cider and stir to combine.
• Return the chicken and bacon to the casserole dish with 2-3 sprigs of thyme and bring to a boil.
• Put the casserole into the preheated oven and cook with a lid on for 30 minutes, then uncover and cook for another 30 minutes.
• While the chicken is in the oven, fry the apple wedges in 2 tablespoon of the reserved chicken fat or butter.
• Take the casserole out of the oven and stir in the heavy cream. Cook for 20 minutes longer uncovered.
• Stir in the cooked apple wedges before serving with potatoes or rice.