Embrace French cuisine with poulet au vinaigre  

This week on I Made It So You Don’t Have To, we are essentially making a French version of the Tuscan chicken from last semester, but with a twist. If you’re looking for a more bitter yet smooth and delicious sauce to cook your chicken in, this recipe is for you. 

This recipe is great because it basically ensures your chicken will be cooked perfectly. It also infuses the chicken with a refreshing acidity from the vinegar — or as the French call it, vinaigre. Launch a coup d’état on your traditional weeknight meals and make this amazing recipe. If my French jokes were not up to par, I can promise that this dish certainly will be. So, let’s get to it. 

This recipe is from the TikTok chef @ChefAlexTrim and it is a great step-by-step tutorial. Set your deep sauté pan to medium-high heat and get it hot before adding anything. Season your chicken thighs on both sides with generous pinches of salt and pepper. It is okay if the thighs are bone-in, as the meat will slide off very easily regardless. 

Take your skin-on chicken thighs and place them in the pan with a splash of olive oil. Make sure to place them skin-side down for four to five minutes. The skin gets super crispy and protects the chicken from burning and becoming dry inside. Flip them once golden brown and then brown on the other side for about three to four minutes. Remove all the chicken and turn the heat down to medium-low. 

While the chicken is cooking, dice half an onion, a shallot and a garlic clove. Add them in after the chicken is done. Cook until the onions are translucent and then add in your tomato paste. Let this toast for about one to two minutes on medium heat for the flavors to assimilate. To deglaze the pan, raise the heat to medium-high and add your red wine vinegar. 

Let this reduce, turning the liquid to a syrupy consistency. This concentrates the flavor, which will give your sauce the acidity you want. Add white wine and let this reduce for about two minutes. Combine your stock, tarragon, thyme, and chicken, bringing  this mixture to a simmer at medium heat. Cook for about 15-20 minutes with the lid on.  

Then, remove the chicken and add in the heavy cream. Let this come to a simmer and cook for five more minutes so the sauce thickens up. Salt and pepper the sauce, tasting it frequently. Add the chicken back in and reheat it for one minute to let the sauce back in. Serve this with rice, bread or both! 

This is a great weeknight dish that is filling and loaded with flavor, with a restaurant-quality tenderness of the chicken. The sauce gives the rice a smoothness like risotto. The only criticism I have is the acidity. I would dial back maybe 50mL of the red wine vinegar so that it is not too overpowering. 

The tarragon and thyme offer a refreshing aromaticity that certainly complements the chicken. This dish comfortably serves four people, so it is great for single meal prep or a family meal for the roommates. It takes about 45 minutes to make but it is certainly worth the wait. 

Ingredients: 

Six chicken thighs – Skin on (bone-in or boneless) 

One half a white onion 

One shallot, diced 

One garlic clove 

Two tbsp tarragon, chopped 

One tbsp thyme 

200 mL of red wine vinegar 

400 mL of white, burgundy wine 

400 mL of chicken stock  

400 mL of heavy cream 

Salt and pepper 

Rating: 4/5 

Price: $28.19