We don’t often cook classic French dishes at home, preferring to sit in a bistro in blissful ignorance (or denial) of the copious amounts of butter we’re consuming … there’s a reason why those dishes are so tasty. However we’ve been revisiting “Roast Chicken and Other Stories” by Simon Hopkinson and decided to give this simple dish a go. Yes, lots of butter, but so very worth it for the tender chicken and delicious sauce. Serve with potatoes and some green beans.
Wine Suggestion: This particular dish works really well with red Burgundy or Beaujolais.
Poulet sauté au vinaigre – serves 4
- 8 chicken pieces (we used thighs but you could also joint a whole chicken)
- 100g butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 6 very ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped (cut a little cross in the bottom of each and cover with boiling water, leave for 1 minute, then drain and the skins will peel off easily)
- 250ml top-quality red wine vinegar
- 250ml chicken stock
- 2 heaped tbsp chopped parsley
Season the chicken pieces well with salt and black pepper.
Heat 4 tbsp of the butter and the olive oil in a shallow casserole or deep frying pan until just turning brown.
Add the chicken pieces and fry gently, turning, until golden brown all over.
Add the chopped tomatoes and continue cooking until the tomato has lost its moisture and turned dark red and sticky. This will take a while so don’t be tempted to rush it.
Add the vinegar and simmer until almost evaporated, then add the stock and simmer again to reduce by half.
Remove the chicken pieces to a warm serving dish and keep warm. Whisk the rest of the butter into the sauce to make it nice and glossy. Add half the parsley, then pour over the chicken and sprinkle with the rest of the parsley.
(Original recipe from Roast Chicken and Other Stories by Simon Hopkinson, Ebury Press, 1994.)
Jono & Jules do food & wine 
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