Vinegar Chicken With Crisp Roasted Mushrooms
Not quite a braise and quicker than a roast, this saucy, tangy one-pot vinegar chicken can be prepared in under an hour with ingredients you probably have on hand. Feel free to use a whole chicken broken down into parts or any combination of breasts, legs, thighs and-or drumsticks, making sure whatever you use is bone-in and skin-on. While the crisp roasted mushrooms and lettuces are optional, they’re unfussy ways to elevate this dish without adding much time to the preparation. Crunchy toast to soak up all the juices is another low-key, brilliant item to add to the table, as is a bowl of seasoned sour cream, which will act as part dressing for the lettuces, part topping for the toast and part dipping sauce for the chicken.
- Total:
- Serves: 4 persons
Ingredients
- 3 ½pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken (use any combination of legs, thighs or drumsticks, or breasts halved crosswise)
- Kosher salt and ground pepper
- 2tablespoons canola oil
- 2medium red onions, cut into 1-inch wedges
- ¼cup white distilled vinegar
- ½bunch thyme, plus leaves for garnish
- 2pounds mixed mushrooms, such as shiitake, maitake, button, chanterelle or oyster, torn into large pieces or quartered
- 3tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt and ground pepper
- 2to 3 heads Little Gem lettuces, ends trimmed, quartered lengthwise
- 2tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
- Kosher salt and ground pepper
- Sumac, for sprinkling
- Olive oil, for drizzling
Instructions
Step 1
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add chicken skin-side down and cook until skin is golden brown and releases easily from the pot, 8 to 10 minutes. Using tongs, turn chicken to brown on the other side, another 4 to 8 minutes, depending on what cut you’re using. As the chicken browns, transfer it to a large plate.Step 2
Add onions to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Cook, without moving them so they have a chance to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add vinegar and 1 cup water, then use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Bring to a simmer and return chicken to the pot, skin-side up, nestling all the pieces in there. (They don’t need to be totally submerged.) Scatter thyme around and place the lid on top. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook at a gentle simmer until chicken is cooked through and tender, 20 to 25 minutes.Step 3
Meanwhile, if serving the mushrooms, heat the oven to 450 degrees. Toss mushrooms with olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing once or twice, until the mushrooms are deeply browned and crispy on the outside but tender on the inside, 15 to 20 minutes depending on the type of mushroom and strength of your oven.Step 4
If serving the salad, toss Little Gems with lemon juice and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper and arrange on a large platter. Sprinkle with sumac and drizzle with olive oil before serving.Step 5
Remove chicken from heat and season the cooking liquid with salt and pepper as needed. Transfer chicken, onions and thyme to a large serving platter, spooning cooking liquid over the top, or alternatively, serve directly from the pot, with the mushrooms and salad alongside you like. Add toast and something creamy if you choose.