Chicken Braised in Two Vinegars
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 2pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 2tablespoons olive oil
- 6garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- ½cup best-quality balsamic vinegar
- ½cup best-quality red wine vinegar
- 1tablespoon finely chopped Italian parsley (optional)
- 2teaspoons finely chopped oregano (optional)
- Flaky salt, for serving (optional)
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
378 calories; 16 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 45 grams protein; 703 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Season chicken well on both sides with salt and pepper. In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until it starts to become fragrant and lightly golden, about 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Begin cooking the chicken, making sure not to crowd the pan (you may need to do this in batches). Cook until the chicken is no longer pink on the outside and begins to lightly brown in spots, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. If it’s not cooked through at this point, that’s O.K.
- Step 2
If you’ve cooked the chicken in batches, add all of the meat and any residual juices back to the pan. Pour in the vinegars, add reserved garlic and bring to a simmer. Turn heat to medium-low, cover and allow the meat to continue to cook in the sauce, about 5 to 7 minutes more.
- Step 3
Uncover and toss chicken well in the vinegar sauce to coat. Cook chicken about 3 to 5 minutes more or until the sauce has reduced by about half and has thickened slightly. Sprinkle with parsley and oregano, if using, and season with flaky salt, if using. Serve in bowls over polenta or with rice pilaf and spoon the remaining sauce atop.
Private Notes
Comments
I take exception to saying "best-quality balsamic vinegar." Half a cup of truly "best quality" balsamic vinegar could run you $30 or more. Over a hundred if you're using really truly "best quality." Plus it would be a shame to use it that way (best quality balsamic is a rare treat that should be enjoyed as unmolested as possible). I plan to make this, but I will use "qood quality" balsamic vinegar (the kind that sells for $8 a bottle or so).
Because I'm only cooking for one, I experimented with the measurements. For one chicken thigh, I used 1 tsp of oil, 1 clove of garlic, and 1.5 tbsp each of the vinegars. Worked out extremely well and was incredibly delicious. Ate with creamy parmesan grits, which cooked in the same amount of time as the chicken... dinner was done in less than 30 minutes.
The problem with cooking for one is that it's 90% of the work of cooking for 2 or 4, yet you only get one serving. Why not cook the whole batch and then have really excellent leftovers for the next day or two, requiring virtually no effort to warm up and enjoy? (This seems like the kind of recipe that would work really well as leftovers. You could even mix it up by using the leftovers for a sandwich.)
This was very good! I paid attention to the comments, which pretty much said "if it's too sour, keep cooking". They were right! I ended up cooking the chicken plus sauce for 15 minutes in Step 3; I kept tasting the sauce until it was less sour, 1/2 of the original volume, and starting to thicken. If there is still a strong vinegar smell boiling off, keep cooking!
My partner and I made it and liked it, but thought it was missing some richness and depth. Added a healthy glug of soy sauce/worchteshire sauce and a knob of butter at tge end and it was delicious!
I added 2 teaspoonfuls of homemade Orange marmalade. Delicious.