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

Add brandy and stir while scraping the bottom of the pan, continue cooking until the alcohol burns out.

Add flour and stir until combined with the fat to form a paste, then slowly add chicken stock and stir until the mixture resembles a thick gravy. Pour in the apple cider and stir to combine.

Return 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 an additional 30 minutes.

While the chicken is in the oven, fry the apple wedges in 2 tablespoon of the reserved chicken fat or butter. Watch them carefully as they burn quickly.

Take the casserole out of the oven and stir in the heavy cream, then cook for 20 minutes longer uncovered.

Remove from the oven, stir in the cooked apple wedges and serve with potatoes or rice.