Sophie Fenlon’s Poulet au Vinigre

A classic Lyonnaise dish, dating back centuries. Served with a tangy red wine vinegar reduction sauce and tons of fresh herbs. This is my twist on the classic, preparation time is 15mins, and cook time is 20mins.

I have used the famous ‘Poulet de Bresse’ in this recipe, but any local/organic chicken can be easily substituted.

INGREDIENTS:

1 4lb organic chicken, cut into 10 pieces

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp canola oil

1 cup red wine vinegar

2 shallots, sliced

4 sprigs of thyme

3 whole garlic cloves

4 peppercorns

¼ cup fresh parsley

2 fresh bay leaf

1 Tbsp butter

¾ cup crème fraiche

METHOD:

• Pre-heat oven to 425f.
• In a deep cast iron skillet, heat the butter and oil together over medium-high heat
• Season chicken pieces with sea salt & cracked pepper
• Brown the meat, and set aside once golden all over
• Drain off the excess fat in the pan. *very important
• Add garlic cloves, bay, and thyme – lightly caramelize.
• Deglaze pan with red wine vinegar and shallot slices, reduce by ¾
• Turn down heat to medium and stir in crème fraiche, and the rest of the butter
• Return the chicken pieces to the pan – place lid on skillet and bake in the oven for 18 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through
• Finish with parsley, and serve with crusty bread, lentils, rice or roasted potatoes.

A Brief History on ‘Poulet de Bresse’:

The chickens of the Bresse region have for years held a status of high reputation, and in France, they are sometimes referred to as “the queen of poultry. These healthy chickens earned legal protection on Dec 22 of 1936 and gave them the reputation of being the best quality chicken in the world.

Production and breeding is overseen by the “Centre de Sélection de la Volaille de Bresse” and farmers must follow strict rules in order to qualify their birds for the ‘Bresse’ status.