This is a traditional bistro dish originating in Lyon, France. It literally has ‘vinegar’ in the recipe title so we had to try it. This recipe will serve two with some leftovers. Maybe.
Like many older dishes there seem to be numerous versions of the same dish floating around. The differences fall into what part of the chicken you use (all is the most traditional), which allium (shallots or garlic), tomato or not, and cream or not.
We’ve tried a bunch and came up with this hybrid recipe that produces delicious chicken and retains the more traditional cream base but without losing the bright and fresh notes.
Serve it with mashed potatoes or crusty bread but have a green salad or roasted greens nearby as well to keep this rich dish lighter. A light red wine, like a Pinot Noir, is the best pairing.
2 medium sized tomatoes squeezed (to get rid of the seeds and excess liquid) and chopped
1 tablespoon of chopped tarragon, plus more for garnish
Directions
Turn oven to 350.
Salt and black pepper chicken thighs generously. Allow them to stand for about 10 minutes so that the salt penetrates the chicken.
Add about 3 tablespoons of olive oil to an oven safe pan or enamel cast-iron that has a lid. Over medium high heat pan fry chicken thighs until very lightly browning on both sides. Remove cooked chicken from pan and set aside.
Add butter to pan. Once melted added a whole bay leaf and sliced shallots. Stir until shallots begin to get translucent. Add tomato paste and mix in well but try not to break the bay leaf. Add vinegar and deglaze pan thoroughly scraping up all the attached bits and allowing vinegar to evaporate for 2 minutes. Add white wine and combine well.
Return chicken and any liquid it has released while resting to the pan. Flip chicken in the pan so that both sides have been exposed to the sauce. Place covered pan in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes depending on thigh size.
Remove pan from the oven. Remove chicken from the pan and place chicken in a covered plate to stay warm. Remove and discard bay leaf.
Add mustard to the pan sauce and blend well. Add cream to the pan and reduce it on low heat to about half the volume. Allow the cream to reduce slowly so as not to split the sauce. Be extra careful with the pan handle—it is easy to forget you had it in the oven.
Once cream has reduced by about half, shut off the stove top and add the minced tarragon and chopped tomatoes to the sauce. You may also want to grind a little more black pepper and adjust salt.
Plate the chicken and generously spoon the sauce over the chicken. Top with more chopped tarragon and serve.
Recipe Note
Cooking only thighs allows for even cooking but is also easier and less fatty than tackling a full chicken. Conceptually you could use chicken breast instead though I expect it and the sauce would be a little less flavorful and you would need to be more careful not to overcook the breast.
The cream and vinegar play off of each other to achieve a great acid and fat balance. Adding tarragon and tomatoes “raw” to the reduced cream sauce at the end, instead of cooking as some recipes suggest, further gives the sauce a fresh finish.
Fresh as it is, this is still a rich dish and you may want to start with plating a two-thigh serving.
