Braised Chicken with Vinegar
I'd make this with leg and thigh pieces rather than including breasts—which almost invariably dry out during braising—but the choice is yours. The sauce will keep things relatively moist in any case.
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup chopped pancetta or bacon
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves or ½ teaspoon dried
- 2 fresh thyme sprigs or ½ teaspoon dried
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly smashed
- 1 chicken, 3 to 4 pounds, cut into serving pieces, or 2½ to 3 pounds chicken parts, trimmed of excess fat
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- ½ cup good-quality red wine or balsamic vinegar
- Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish
Instructions:
- Set a large skillet with a lid over medium-high heat. Add the oil, pancetta, herbs, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pancetta browns, about 5 minutes. Remove the garlic and place the chicken in the skillet; brown it well, rotating and turning the pieces as necessary and sprinkling them with salt and pepper, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Add the vinegar and ½ cup water; raise the heat to high and cook for a minute or two, until the mixture has reduced slightly and thickened somewhat. Reduce the heat to low and cover the skillet; cook until the chicken is tender and there is only the barest trace of pink near the bone, about 20 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to a warm platter and, if the sauce is thin, raise the heat to high, stirring and reducing the sauce as necessary until it is thick and glossy, just a few minutes. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Spoon the sauce over the chicken, garnish, and serve.