Recipe: Chicken Braised with Tomatoes and Fig Vinegar

Serves 4

1 cut-up chicken (about 3 pounds)

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 medium shallot, minced

1 medium clove garlic, minced

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons fig vinegar, divided

1 cup broken-up, canned tomatoes

½ cup water

¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley

1. With kitchen shears remove the skin from the pieces of chicken. Dust with flour and sprinkle with some salt and pepper. In a 12-inch skillet heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add chicken, being careful not to crowd the pan. Cook until golden on all sides, about 10 minutes, then remove from pan. Add another tablespoon oil and repeat with remaining chicken. Set aside.

2. Put shallot and garlic into pan, stirring for 30 seconds. Pour ½ cup vinegar into pan and cook down to reduce by almost half. Add tomatoes and water, stirring to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Put chicken into pan, cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook 15 minutes. Turn pieces, cover and continue simmering 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary with a little more vinegar, salt and pepper.

3. The chicken can be taken off the bone and put into the sauce. Or serve on the bone with sauce spooned over. Sprinkle top with parsley.

Times Kitchen Note: Mashed potatoes or pasta go well with this dish to soak up the juices. It would be great with the Mashed Potatoes with Figs and Parmesan, another favorite recipe of 2006.

Adapted from "The Cook's Illustrated Complete Book of Poultry"