This easy one pot chicken dish is great comfort food. Browned chicken thighs are cooked in a buttery, cider cream sauce, made slightly tart with apples and smoky with bacon.
Lightly coat the chicken in seasoned flour, shake off any excess and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the bacon until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Thoroughly brown the chicken in the frying pan (10-12 min), remove and set aside.
Remove all but 1 tb of oil from the frying pan, or add more if less than 1 tb left. Lightly brown the diced apple and garlic slices, taking care not to let the garlic burn.
Pour in the cider and stir to incorporate any residue from the bottom of the pan.
Add the potatoes, browned chicken, bacon and thyme sprigs. Season with salt and pepper. Put a lid on the pan and bring to a boil.
Simmer until the potatoes and chicken are cooked (20-25 min).
Add cream, butter and sliced apples and continue to cook for 10 min with the lid off. Check seasoning before serving.
Tip: to re-crisp the chicken skin, put the dish under a hot grill for a few minutes.