Chicken with Vinegar

 19 October 2020

Recipe from Cook's Illustrated, September 2020

This was new to me, poulet au vinaigre, a simple, traditional French dish. The name is somewhat off-putting, suggesting you are making pickled chicken. But, fortunately, that is now what this is though the sauce does include vinegar. To find out just how simple and tangy and good this chicken is, or isn't, you have to make it.

I used the "for two" recipe from the Cook's Illustrated website which cooks 4 rather than 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, enough for us to have two meals. The chicken was patted dry with paper towels, seasoned, and both sides were browned in vegetable oil in an oven-proof skillet. The chicken was transferred to a plate and most of the fat was poured from the skillet. The skillet was placed over medium heat. Minced shallot and sliced garlic were added and cooked. To this was added chicken broth, dry white wine, and red wine vinegar. After bringing the mixture to a simmer the chicken was added, skin side up, and the skillet was placed in a 325° oven. About 30 minutes later the chicken had reached 195° and was removed from the oven. It was placed on a serving plate and the skillet returned to the stove over high heat. Tomato paste was whisked into the liquid which was cooked until thickened and reduced. Off heat, butter and minced fresh tarragon where whisked into the sauce which was poured over the chicken pieces for serving. Total preparation time was 75 minutes, about 30 minutes hands off.

This is a dish we will make again. It is simple and fast enough to make on a weekday night. The sauce was beautiful, just a little tangy with freshness from the herbs. The braised chicken was tender and juicy and the leftovers were good, too.