Moules La Normande Recipes

Steps:

• Heat the butter in a pan until it foams. Add the diced bacon and cook over a moderate heat for 5-8 minutes until lightly browned.
• Stir in the garlic, onion and thyme and fry for a further 5 minutes until the onion becomes translucent.
• Discard any open mussels, then add the remainder to the pan with the Calvados and diced apple. Cover and leave to steam for a few minutes until the mussels start to open. Pour in the heavy cream and gently bring up to the boil. Season.
• Serve the mussels piping hot with crusty bread.

Steps:

• Pat the chicken very dry with paper towels, and season well with salt and pepper. Heat the fat in a large Dutch oven or deep skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Brown the chicken, in batches if necessary, skin side down until deep golden, 6 to 8 minutes, then flip, and sear the other side until golden, another 3 minutes.
• If flambéing: Make sure there is nothing flammable near or above your stove. Gently warm the Calvados in a saucepan over medium heat. When the chicken is well browned, protect your hand, and use a long kitchen match to light the liquor on fire, then carefully pour it into the chicken pan. The flame can shoot over 2 feet high, so be careful. Cook until the flame subsides. If not flambéing: Once the chicken is browned, turn off the heat, and add the Calvados. When the sizzling subsides, turn the heat on to medium low, bring the liquid to a simmer and cook for 4 minutes to evaporate the alcohol.
• Add the cider and onions, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn the heat down to a very gentle simmer. Quickly peel and core the apples, and cut them into 1 1/2-inch chunks, and place them on top of the chicken. Cover the pan, and cook, checking occasionally to ensure the liquid is maintaining a gentle simmer, not boiling, until the chicken is just cooked through, 35-40 minutes.
• Remove the chicken, onions and apples to a platter, and cover. Make a slurry with the cornstarch and 3 tablespoons of cold water. Stir this into the braising liquid, and bring to a simmer for 1 minute, until thickened. Stir in the crème fraîche, and season the sauce with salt to taste, replace the chicken, onions and apples in the sauce and serve with crusty bread and a salad.

Steps:

• Cut the crusts from the brread and reserve for other use such as bread crumbs.
• Lightly brush both sides of each slice with butter.
• Line the bottom of a charlotte mold (it should be 6" across by 3" deep --you may use a deeper mold--it will just require extra care in unmolding) with 3 to 4 of the slices of bread cut in triangles and overlapping by about 1/4".
• Line the sides of the mold with 6 to 8 slices cut in rectangles that are the same height, they should also overlap slightly.
• Reserve 3 slices for the top.
• Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Saute the apples in the remaining butter for 3 to 4 minutes and add the sugar and cinnamon; stir well and cook another 1 to 2 minutes.
• Pour the apples into the bread-lined mold and press down lightly with the back of a spoon.
• Cover with the reserved slices of buttered cut to fit the space.
• Place the mold on a sheet pan and bake in the oven for 45 minutes.
• Cool for at least thirty minutes and unmold onto a serving plate.
• Serve warm or room temperature with Creme aux Oeufs or apricot sauce.
• Note: This version is not overly sweet, certainly not as sweet as many other Charlottes.