Chicken with Vinegar
This is just one of several great poultry dishes from the area around Lyon, a region whose famous poulet de Bresse was long considered by many to be the best chicken in the world. Chef Paul Bocuse learned poulet au vinaigre as a youth and, some years later, showed considerable audacity by putting what is essentially a peasant dish on the menu of his Michelin three-star restaurant just outside of Lyon. He insisted that it was neither how much work nor the cost of ingredients that determined the worthiness of a dish, but how it tasted. Bravo.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat until it is good and hot. Put the chicken in the skillet, skin side down, and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the chicken is nicely browned. Turn and cook for 3 minutes on the other side. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 2
Put the chicken in the oven. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until it is just about done (the juices will run clear, and there will be just the barest trace of pink near the bone). Transfer the chicken to an ovenproof platter and place the platter in the oven; turn off the oven and leave the door slightly ajar.
Step 3
Pour most but not all of the cooking juices out of the skillet. Put the skillet over medium-high heat and add the shallot; sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until the shallot is tender, about 2 minutes. Add the vinegar and raise the heat to high. Cook for a minute or two, or until the powerful smell has subsided somewhat. Add 1/2 cup water and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring, until the mixture is slightly reduced and somewhat thickened. Stir in the butter if you like.
Step 4
Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet and turn the chicken in the sauce. Serve immediately.
Variations
Step 5
Paul Bocuse’s Poulet au Vinaigre: In step 1, brown the chicken in 7 tablespoons butter. In step 3, add 3 tablespoons butter to the reduced vinegar sauce.
Step 6
Substitute chopped garlic or onion for the shallot.
Step 7
Add an herb to the chicken as it’s browning: a sprig of fresh tarragon (or a big pinch of dried tarragon), a few fresh thyme sprigs (or 1 teaspoon dried), or 5 or 6 bay leaves.
Step 8
Use champagne, rice, or white wine vinegar.
Step 9
Add about 2 tablespoons capers to the vinegar as it reduces.
Step 10
Stir a tablespoon or more of Dijon mustard into the sauce just before serving.
