Chicken Quintiliano
Active time: 15 minutes Total time: 25 minutes 4 servings
Tangy with vinegar and sweet from caramelized garlic, this one-skillet chicken recipe is a great example of what cookbook author Colu Henry calls easy, fancy food in her new cookbook of the same name. The original recipe for this dish has been in Henry’s family for more than 80 years.
If you don’t eat chicken, try this with fish (you won’t need to simmer it for as long) or hen-ofthe-woods mushrooms.
Boneless skinless thighs cook quickly in the sauce, but you could also use bone-in, skin-on thighs.
Chicken thighs tend to become very tender in the vinegary sauce, though you could use chicken breasts, too. Take care not to simmer them for the full amount of time, as they will cook more quickly.
The garlic helps cut the strong vinegar flavor, but try this same recipe with halved shallots or sliced onions for a sweeter spin.
Storage notes: Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (4 to 6) Fine salt
Freshly ground
black pepper 3 tablespoons olive
oil
10 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1⁄2 cup balsamic
vinegar
⁄ cup red red wine
1
2
vinegar
2 sprigs fresh oregano
1⁄2 cup (3⁄4 ounce) finely chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, for serving (optional)
Polenta, rice or mashed
potatoes, for serving
Pat the chicken dry and lightly season it with salt and pepper.
In a large saute pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil until it shimmers. Add the garlic cloves and cook, stirring occasionally, until they become fragrant and start to brown, about 2 minutes. Remove the garlic from the pan and set aside.
Using tongs, add 2 to 3 pieces of chicken to the pan. Cook until the chicken is lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Cut into the thickest part of one thigh to check that it’s no longer raw in the center. Transfer the browned chicken to a large plate and repeat with the remaining chicken. (The chicken may not be cooked all the way through at this point, and that’s OK.)
Return all of the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan. Add the balsamic and red wine vinegars and bring to a simmer. Add the oregano and the garlic, cover the pan, and cook the chicken in the sauce until it’s cooked through, about 8 minutes.
Uncover the pan, toss the chicken in the sauce and continue cooking until the sauce has reduced by about half, an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Serve family-style, sprinkled with the parsley and flaky salt, with polenta, rice or mashed potatoes on the side.
Nutritional information per serving (11⁄2 chicken thighs and 1/4 cup sauce), based on 4 | Calories: 453; Total Fat: 28 g; Saturated Fat: 7 g; Cholesterol: 199 mg; Sodium: 346 mg; Carbohydrates: 7 g; Dietary Fiber: 0 g; Sugar: 5 g; Protein: 42 g.
Adapted from “Colu Cooks: Easy Fancy Food” by Colu Henry (Abrams, 2022)