Vinegar Chicken
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Vinegar chicken is the perfect cozy meal for a chilly night. Golden, crispy-skinned chicken thighs are braised in red wine vinegar and served with green onions and creme fraiche for a bright, comforting supper that’s so much more than the sum of its parts.
Use a nice French red wine vinegar if you can find it. For more acidic domestic vinegars, swap in 2 tablespoons of water.
Recipe Type:
Dinner
Keyword:
vinegar chicken
Makes: 6 servings
Ingredients
Chicken
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots, about 2 medium
- 2 bay leaves, preferably fresh
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 1 cup red wine vinegar, if using domestic vinegar, swap 2 tablespoons for water
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
To serve
- 1/2 cup crème fraîche
- 1/2 cup sliced green onions
- Cooked polenta rice farro, spelt, or toast
Instructions
-
Sprinkle chicken thighs with sea salt and pepper on both sides. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
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Set a large, oven-proof skillet over medium/medium-high heat. Add butter. Sear chicken, skin-side down 4 - 5 minutes, or until deep golden brown. Flip and sear 4 minutes more. Remove from heat. Add shallots, bay, thyme, and then the vinegar to skillet.
-
Carefully slide skillet into oven and roast 15 - 20 minutes.
-
Remove chicken to a plate. Set skillet over high heat, stir in broth, and cook until mixture reduces, about 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add chicken back and cook over medium heat 3 minutes more.
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Serve over polenta or another grain with several spoonfuls of sauce. Finish with a dollop of crème fraîche, a few tablespoons of green onions, and a few twists of black pepper.