Auge Valley Chicken Stew

1 lg , quartered

2 Carrots, peeled and diced

1 Shallot, sliced

4 Pippin apples**

1 lb White mushrooms, washed and

-minced 1/2 c Butter

1/4 c Oil

2 Onions - one sliced, one

-studded with cloves 1 c Dry white wine

1 Clove garlic

Thyme leaves Bay leaves Salt and fresh ground black -pepper 1 c Creme fraiche or whipping

-cream** 1 Shot glass (1 Tablespoon)

-Calvados** 3 Egg yolks

**For the apples I used Granny Smith's. For the creme fraiche or whipping cream, I used the whipping cream. For the Calvados - which would have been too expensive to use, even if I had located it over here, I substituted an apple flavored liqueur and just added a little brandy. (Calvados is a dry apple brandy from Calvados in Northern France - very good, but I couldn't find it locally) In a cast iron casserole, lightly brown the chicken in half the butter and 2 Tablespoons oil. When all the pieces are nice and golden. add the carrots, shallots and the sliced onion and cook for a few minutes. Pour the white wine and 1 cup of water over the chicken, then add the clove studded onion and the garlic. Add some thyme leaves and bay leaves and season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer over low heat for 40 minutes. (While this was cooking the 40 minutes, I peeled and minced the mushrooms - I know everyone tells me there is no need to peel the mushrooms, but I always do ) Remove the chicken from the heat, arrange the pieces of chicken in an ovenproof serving dish and keep warm. Pass the cooking liquid through a sieve. Set the vegetables aside and keep warm. Meanwhile melt the remaining butter in a skillet with the oil, add the apples and cook until just lightly brown on all sides. Remove the apples from the skillet and arrange them around the chicken. Keep the dish warm in the oven. Saute the mushrooms until they have lost all their juices. Set aside to add to the sauce. To make the sauce: Pour the strained cooking liquid into a saucepan and set over medium heat. With a whisk, beat in the cream, the calvados and the egg yolks in that order. Simmer in a double boiler until it has thickened to a light cream. Stir in the mushrooms and the vegetables, discarding the clove-studded onion. Adjust seasoning. Remove the dish from the oven, spoon some of the sauce over the chicken and pour the remaining sauce into a sauceboat and serve. From The Cookie Lady's Files Submitted By O'LEARY'S