Classic Chicken in Vinegar

A classic, French country recipe. The braising of chicken in vinegar helps tenderize as well as providing a delicious tang.
Ready
- 1 frying chicken (4-4 ½ lb), cut into 8 pieces
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- ¼ cup (½ stick butter), divided into 2 –2 Tbsp
- ½ cup red-wine vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 Tbsp chopped parsley
- 2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon
Set
- Large iron skillet (preferred) or other large skillet with cover
- Serving platter
- Whisk or fork
Go
- Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
- Melt 2 Tbsp of butter in skillet over medium heat.
- Add chicken pieces beginning, skin side down.
- Cook, turning pieces until golden brown (about 10-15 minutes).
- Add ¼ cup of vinegar and water to skillet: cover.
- Cook for about 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
- Transfer chicken to platter.
- Add garlic and cook about 1 minute.
- Deglaze skillet with remaining ¼ cup vinegar.
- Increase heat to medium high.
- Bring to a boil and scrape pan for browned bits.
- Stir in tomato paste. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove pan from heat and whisk in 1 Tbsp at a time, the remaining 2 Tbsp butter.
- Pour over chicken and sprinkle with parsley and tarragon.
Anyone who likes this recipe as much as I do should be sure to try Marc’s Filipino Humba which is another delicious vinegar based dish.
This was really good and really easy. Thank you.
OH MY GOSH … was this good. I served this with some rice which turned out to be a real bonus as you can spoon the excess sauce over the rice.
I made one happy mistake which was to pour all the red wine vinegar in step four and then had to add even more vinegar in step 9. Next time I will do it the same way as I really loved that vinegary taste!
Great recipe John. It’s truly delicious. The only problem now is that it’s going to be tough to choose a good ol’ fashioned roast over this gorgeous dish (a roast being one of my comfort foods)!

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I made this last night for my family and the strangest thing happened — silence. My four-year-old who has just come out of the terrible threes and entered the terrible fours stopped grousing, whining and complaining. She was too busy eating. My fourteen-month-old stopped throwing food on the carpet and instead threw it in her mouth. My wife gobbled and I smiled.
Make this for your family and enjoy the silence. It doesn’t last long.