Over the years I realized that I've grown to love sour things. I used to hate pickles, tart fruits, even sour candies. Now, I crave acid in almost every dish. So, running with this idea, I decided to whip up a vinegar braised chicken with mushrooms for dinner. I wasn't quite sure how it would end up but let me tell you, it was utterly delicious. In fact, I loved it so much that I decided to share the recipe with you all. Easy to make and packs a punch of flavor, what else could you ask for?
Vinegar Braised Chicken With Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 2 lb chicken thighs boneless, skinless
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 medium onion thinly sliced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- ¼ cup sherry vinegar
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms whole
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Coat the chicken thighs in ¼ cup flour, shaking off the excess.
- Heat 1 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp oil in a deep saute pan over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken on both sides until golden brown, about 5-6 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside.
- Lower the heat to medium. In the same pan, add the onion and cook until it's deep brown and caramelized, about 20 minutes. If the pan gets too dry, add 1-2 tbsp of water.
- Add the garlic cloves and cook for 30 seconds or until aromatic. Add the tomato paste and caramelize for 1 minute.
- Add the chicken back to the pan along with the sherry vinegar, chicken broth, mushrooms, thyme, and bay leaf. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and continue to simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove the lid and transfer the chicken to a plate. Add the sugar to the sauce and increase the heat to medium-high. Continue to simmer the braising liquid until it's slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Season the sauce with salt and pepper and pour it over the chicken. Serve immediately with crusty bread, mashed potatoes, or rice.
**Helpful tips and common mistakes
If you like the Filipino dish, chicken adobo, you'll probably like this vinegar braised chicken with mushrooms dish. The idea is similar, cooking chicken in a large quantity of vinegar; however, this version is more Americanized.
The recipe seems fairly basic but the end result is anything but. We have fairly basic ingredients including tomato paste, garlic, onions, and herbs, but we're going to manipulate them to extract as much flavor as possible.
Start by browning the chicken. Dredge the chicken thighs in flour and brown them in a pan with butter and oil. You can substitute the chicken thighs for chicken breast but I'm a chicken thigh girl through and through.
Set aside the chicken and throw the onions in the same pan. Take your time and caramelize the onions until they're browned and jammy. The sweetness from the onions will help balance the acidity from the sherry vinegar.
Next, add the tomato paste and garlic and go ahead and caramelize the tomato paste. I did mention that we're going to impart as much flavor as possible, right?
Now, throw everything back into the pot including the chicken. Cover the pot and continue to simmer until the chicken is done.
We want to continue to simmer the braising liquid but don't want to overcook the chicken, so remove the chicken and set it on a plate. Continue to simmer the liquid until it reduces and becomes slightly thickened, about 10 minutes or so.
Give the sauce a final seasoning and pour it over the chicken. Finish the vinegar braised chicken with mushrooms with freshly cracked black pepper and serve the meal with a side of mashed potatoes, crusty bread, or rice.
I can't begin to tell you how satisfying and comforting this dish was. Another recipe to add to the regular rotation!
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