Poulet au Vinaigre

Do you ever find yourself in a recipe rut: falling back on the same recipes time after time - for simplicity's sake? Who hasn't been there? Perhaps the most common recipe advice that Chef Tony Maws says that he gets asked is how to make chicken "interesting." With that in mind, here he offers his recipe for Poulet au Vinaigre. It's easy enough to make on any weeknight, but so good you'll want to make it for company too!

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken cut into 6 pieces
butter or olive oil or other cooking oil
8-10 sliced button mushrooms
2 shallots
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup red wine vinegar
1 tbsp tomato puree
4 cups chicken stock (or enough cover 1/3 way up the chicken)
Bay leaf
Thyme Sprigs
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp butter
salt and pepper

Salt and pepper both sides of the of chicken. Sear with skin side down in medium hot pan with butter and/or oil. Turn and baste until nicely brown on both sides.  Remove from pan. Add chopped mushrooms, shallots, and garlic and more salt and pepper if needed. Add tomato paste. Deglaze with white wine red wine vinegar. Reduce until almost dry.

Add chicken back and add chicken stock until 1/3 way up the chicken. Add bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Cover and cook  approximately 15 minutes in 400 degree oven. Test for doneness. Remove chicken to a plate and add juice back to pan.  Add butter and cream to taste; simmer and reduce until you can coat the back of a spoon with the liquid. Pour on chicken and serve. (Serves 4)