Chicken with Apples and Pears and Cheesy Potatoes

Ingredients

For the Cheesy Potatoes:

2 ½ pounds peeled Yukon gold potatoes , cut into 2-inch cubes
Salt
¾ cup half-and-half
2 tablespoons butter
White pepper and nutmeg , freshly grated
8-10 ounces ripe Taleggio or Camembert cheese, trim rind and cut into pieces

For the Chicken with Apples and Pears: 

2 crisp apples
2 pears, peeled and sliced
½ lemon
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or 4 breasts 
Salt and pepper
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons granulated onion 
2 teaspoons ground sage
2 teaspoons ground thyme
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons Calvados or Apple Jack 
1 cup chicken bone broth
2 tablespoons chives, minced
2 tablespoons fresh thyme , chopped

Directions

Serves: 4

For the cheesy potatoes, cover potatoes with water and bring to a boil, then salt the water and cook to tender.

Warm the half-and-half and butter in a small pot and season with white pepper and nutmeg to taste.

Drain potatoes and put through food mill back into the pot. Stir in the hot half-and-half and the cheese until combined. Cover pot to keep warm.  (If holding for more than 15 to 20 minutes, place pot in a larger, wider pan with about 1 inch of simmering water.)

For the chicken, douse the apples and pears with a little lemon juice. Season chicken with salt and pepper.  

Place flour in a shallow dish and season with granulated onion, sage and thyme. Dredge the chicken with the seasoned flour and heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Brown the chicken on both sides, 7 to 8 minutes, then remove. Add butter to pan and melt, then add apples and pears and season with a bit of salt and the sugar. Toss and sauté 2 to 3 minutes until tender-crisp. Add brandy, then stock, slide the chicken back into the pan and simmer 2 to 3 minutes more.

Serve potatoes topped with chicken and apples and pears and garnish with chives and thyme.