Two Vinegar Chicken

With all the tomatoes from the garden, it was time to make Two Vinegar Chicken. The original recipe was one my daughter found in the New York Times. I have modified it a bit, substituting items I always keep in my pantry. The texture and flavor of the chicken reminds me of Coq au Vin, without taking the whole day to make. This is special enough for company but easy and healthy enough for everyday.

Ingredients:

2 - 3 pounds of chicken, bone-in or boneless, white or dark   

salt and pepper to taste     

1 - 2  tablespoon olive oil                                           

1 tablespoon butter                                                 

1/2 cup chopped onion                                           

1 teaspoon chopped garlic                                          

1/4 cup white wine vinegar                                    

1/4 cup red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar   

1/2 cup white wine  

1 and 1/2 cups chicken broth  

6-8 medium tomatoes chopped (may substitute canned tomatoes, drained)    

1/3 cup evaporated milk or heavy cream                                                                 

Your Favorite Pasta 

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet. Use a medium high heat so the chicken will brown nicely. I strongly recommend a cast iron skillet to make clean-up easier. But that did not happen to be an option for me this night.

While the oil is heating, salt and pepper the chicken.

Brown the chicken in the oil. I used boneless chicken tenders, but cut-up chicken or boneless thighs are great too. My only advice is to keep the pieces small (not a huge, bone-in breast). That way the flavors can permeate the meat.

Turn so the chicken will brown on both sides, usually 4-6 minutes per side. The butter is what gives the chicken the rich brown color.

Throw in the chopped onion and garlic. Saute until translucent.

If your skillet is too full of chicken, you can remove a few pieces so the onion can actually reach the surface of the pan. That's what I have done here.

Add the 2 vinegars and de-glaze the pan. That just means you scrape the yummy bits from the pan. Then add the wine and chicken broth. (If you took out any chicken, just add it back in now.) Cook uncovered on a low simmer until the broth is reduced by half, about 20-30 minutes.

Just a note on vinegar. The original recipe had red and white wine vinegar. I have used balsamic and fruit vinegars with great success. Feel free to use what you have, even if you just use one flavor. But the vinegar should be wine-based - not that plain white stuff (too little flavor) or apple cider (too different a flavor). 

This step will finish cooking the chicken and give it the most amazing flavor!

Add chopped tomatoes and continue cooking for an additional 5 - 10 minutes. 

Once tomatoes are falling apart, add 1/3 cup of evaporated milk or heavy cream. Cook an additional 5 minutes, until sauce is thicker. 

I don't know about you, but I only have heavy cream on special occasions and keep evaporated milk in the pantry at all times. In addition to being on hand, the milk is lower in fat. Now it is an everyday dish, not just special occasion. (Believe it or not, the cream is actually a thickener.)

Toss with your favorite pasta, cooked according to package directions. 

Serve with a green salad and some crusty bread to impress your discriminating diners. 

This is great the next day, so I always make enough for 2 meals, possible now that I don't feed teen-age boys. It is easy to warm in the microwave or just eat cold.

I was a bit impatient to get dinner on this night, so mine is a bit soupy. But by the time we had finished dinner, the left-over pasta had absorbed all the extra sauce. Also, I only used half a box of pasta. If I was feeding a crowd, I would have doubled the pasta without doubling the recipe (if that makes sense).

Happy eating!

Let me know how your recipe turns out.