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.

Add the shallots and celery with 2 sprigs of thyme to the same pan and cook over low heat until soft but not coloured for 5-7 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds longer while stirring.

Deglaze the pan with brandy and stir while scraping the bottom, cooking until the alcohol burns out.

Add the flour and stir until combined with the fat and forms a paste, then slowly add the chicken stock and stir until thickened. 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 30 minutes longer.

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 and serve with potatoes or rice.