Poulet au Vinaigre (Chicken with Vinegar)
Description
Chef John's poulet au vinaigre, or chicken with vinegar, is one of those rustic French preparations for chicken thighs, that is both a pleasure to make and delicious to eat. The tarragon, shallot, and wine pan sauce is rich, but not too rich, and perfectly balanced.
Ingredients
•
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
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1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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6 large bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
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1 tablespoon vegetable oil
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1/2 cup diced shallots
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3 garlic cloves, sliced
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1 tablespoon tomato paste
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1/2 cup wine vinegar
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1 cup dry white wine
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1 cup chicken broth
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1/4 cup cream
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1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter
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1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon
Directions
1
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2
Mix salt and black pepper together, and season chicken first on the meat side. Turn chicken skin side up, pat dry, and season with the rest of the mixture.
3
Heat oil in an ovenproof pan over high heat. Place thighs in, skin side down, and sear until well browned, without disturbing, about 5 minutes. Turn and sear meat side for 2 minutes. Remove to plate and turn off heat.
4
Drain or use a paper towel to remove excess fat in the pan, leaving 1 to 2 tablespoons.
5
Turn heat to medium, add shallots and a pinch of salt, and sauté for a few minutes, just until shallots turn translucent. Add garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring, for another minute.
6
Add vinegar and cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add wine and broth, raise heat to high, and bring to a simmer. Add chicken back in, skin side up, and turn off heat.
7
Bake in the preheated oven until meat is fork tender, 40 to 45 minutes. An instant read thermometer inserted near the center should read about 195 degrees F (90 degrees C).
8
Remove thighs from pan, and turn heat to high. Boil for a few minutes, or until volume is reduced by half. Add cream and cook until sauce starts to thicken slightly, a few minutes more.
9
Reduce heat to low and add butter and tarragon. Stir until butter disappears. Add chicken back to the pan, and baste with sauce for a few minutes before serving.