Poulet Au Vinaigre

During my trip out to DC, we had a team happy hour at the office. Since my team is bi-coastal, we don't always have the opportunity to just socialize with one another - sending emails and having conference calls doesn't really have the same effect as water cooler chats :) So it was quite fun to cheers to an exciting year of work and just mingle.

To our pleasant surprise, the lead partner for our team brought everyone a gift - so sweet, right? She purposefully picked out a different cookbook for each one of us and told us each why she chose it. (She said she was in the bookstore with all the cookbooks lined up, post-it notes with names on each - just trying to find perfect fits!) She gave me The Essential James Beard Cookbook because "he set the bar high in cooking just like [I] do in the Seattle office." Isn't that the sweetest?! She's so great. She also earmarked her favorite recipe, Poulet Au Vinaigre (translates to Vinegar Chicken), so it clearly had to be my first. Her words, "it's so simple, but sounds, looks and tastes very impressive..." Friends, she was right. Just add a simple side of asparagus and your tummy will be thanking you. Delicious.

Ingredients
 
6 tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter (I used 4 tbsp instead)
1 4-pound chicken, cut into 8 serving pieces (I used chicken breasts)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup water
2 scallions, white and green parts, finely chopped (The more the merrier, I used the whole bundle)
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup top-quality red wine vinegar
Preparation

1. Melt the butter in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  Working in batches, if necessary, add the chicken and brown on all sides, about 8 minutes.
2. Lower the heat, and season the chicken to taste with salt and pepper.  Add 1/2 cup of water, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Add the scallions and 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley.  Move the pieces of white meat to the top so the dark meat, which takes longer to cook, can get more heat.  Cover again and cook until the meat shows no sign of pink when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife at the thighbone, about 20 minutes.
4. Transfer the chicken to a platter.  Add the vinegar to the skillet.  Increase the heat to high, bring to a boil, and cook, scraping up the brown residue in the pan, until the vinegar has reduced to a thick glaze, about 3 minutes.  Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup of water and mix until smooth.
5. Add 1/4 cup of chopped parsley, pour the sauce over the chicken, and serve hot.