I like dishes that have a “bite” to them, and this vinegar chicken has that in spades. Be warned that this dish is pretty strong and may not appeal to everyone. More cream could be added at the end, and/or maybe some sugar could lower the tartness, but to me, I like the tartness. If using bone-in chicken thighs with skin, I tend to salt the skin and keep uncovered in the refrigerator overnight. Plus, I do not like dealing with bones, so usually remove them and keep in the freezer for use later to make chicken stock. When cooking with skin, I keep the skin away from being covered with liquid.
Timings
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Wait: 30 minutes
Total: 1 hour
Equipment Notes
- I use a 10in pan for this.
Ingredients
- 1t kosher salt
- 1/2t black pepper
- 4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- 1T neutral oil
- 1 small shallot (about 1/4C), diced
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced thinky
- 2t tomato paste
- 1/2C white wine vinegar
- 1/2C dry white wine
- 1/2C chicken stock
- 1/8C heavy cream
- 1/4C olives, sliced
- 1T cold butter
- 1T parsley, chopped
Steps
- Season the chicken thighs on all sides with the salt and pepper. Let rest 15 – 30 minutes if possible.
- Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Pat the chicken dry and add to the pan smooth side (or skin side) down. Cook about 2 minutes per side or until each side is lightly browned and does not stick to the pan.
- Remove the chicken thighs, reduce the heat to medium low, and add the shallots along with a pinch of salt. Cook about 2 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Add the garlic and tomato paste, and cook 1 minute stirring frequently.
- Add the vinegar, wine, chicken broth, and olives. Raise the heat to high until the liquid starts to simmer, scraping anything stuck to the bottom of the pan.
- Remove the pan from the heat, and add the chicken thighs back to the pan.
- Place the pan in a 325°F / 163°C oven and cook for 20 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 195°F / 90°C.
- Remove the pan from the oven making sure to pace some sort of insulated cover over the handle to avoid accidentally burning yourself. Remove the thighs from the pan and place the pan on the stove on high heat.
- Bring the liquid to a light boil adjusting the heat as needed and cook 5 minutes or until the liquid reduces by half.
- Add the cream and cook 2 minutes or until things start to thicken, stirring constantly.
- Reduce the heat to low and once the liquid stops bubbling, add the butter, stirring it constantly until it fully melts. Mix in the parsley. Add the chicken and warm as needed.