Chicken Sauté with Vinegar

There I was with half an hour to dinner and a whole chicken ... hmmm, so I cut up the chicken and while trying to think of something interesting to do with it, remembered The Supper Book which I had just finished reading ... and handily was on the counter right behind me. The Chicken Sauté with Vinegar was really easy and pleased everyone, including Hannah (now that's a real home run!). And I simmered a saucepan of water with the wings and back ... voila chicken broth for the freezer!

You can use different kinds of vinegar making this so see which acidity pleases you best. We had this with egg noodles, salad, and lima beans.

One 2-1/2 pound frying chicken, cut into 8 serving pieces
Salt and pepper to taste (I didn't use any, the vinegar was seasoning enough)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick butter)
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried tarragon (I didn't have any)
1 tablespoon minced parsley (I didn't have any)

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet and put the chicken pieces in, skin side down. Brown on one side, turn over, and brown on the other. This takes about 8 minutes.

Pour in half of the wine vinegar and all of the water, and cover. Turn the heat to low and cook abut 10-15 minutes more. Check for doneness after 10 minutes -- don't overcook. The chicken is done when the juices run clear when the flesh is pierced with a sharp knife.

Transfer the chicken to a platter and cover to keep warm. Add the garlic to the skillet and cook over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the remaining 1/4 cup vinegar and boil quickly to reduce slightly, about 1 minute.

Add the tomato paste, and the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Cook a few seconds, pour the sauce over the chicken, and sprinkle with the tarragon and parsley. Serve right away.