Sybil's Spoon: Vinegar Hill House Chicken

Vinegar Hill House is an amazing restaurant in Vinegar Hill, just North of DUMBO. They have this incredible roast chicken. Usually I won't get chicken at a restaurant and go for something more exotic, but I'd heard good things, and I love anything with vinegar as an ingredient. It's rich and tangy and just perfectly chickeny. The chicken jus, vinegar, butter, and shallots makes an intoxicating sauce.

My wonderful friend Kara who knows me so well bought me this cookbook which has the recipe inside. Thanks, Kara! If you make extra jus, freeze it and then it makes the whole process a little quicker. (It is a bit of a process - only do it if you have a free afternoon.) My pictures don't do it justice.

Serves 4

Ingredient:

10 shallots, peeled, 2 sliced and 8 whole

1 large yellow onion, sliced

two 2-3 pound organic or Amish chickens (back bone removed, cut in half, leaving wing bones and leg in tact but removing and reserving all other bones)

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 cups dry white wine

1 1/2 quarts (6 cups) chicken stock, preferably homemade

1 bay leaf

8 sprigs fresh thyme, divided

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

10 tbsp (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter

4 tsp vegetable oil, divided

1/2 cup sherry vinegar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425. To make the jus, combine the sliced shallots, onion, and reserved chicken bones on a foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet. Toss with olive oil. Roast, stirring every 10 minutes, until all of the ingredients are browned, about 30 minutes. Remove the bones from the baking sheet, leaving any fat behind, and transfer the onions, shallots, and bones to a pot over medium heat. Add the wine and cook until it is reduced by 30 quarters. Add the stock, bay leaf, and a few sprigs of thyme. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 45 minutes.

Strain the jus through a fine-mesh strainer. Refrigerate until chilled, then skim the fat and reserve the jus. Place the 8 whole shallots in a small baking pan. Season with salt and pepper, add 2 tbsp of the butter, and pour in 1/8 cup water. Cover with foil and roast for 20 minutes. Uncover and roast for 15 minutes longer or until the shallots are tender and golden. Set the pan aside. To roast the chickens, place two 9-inch seasoned cast-iron skillets in the oven for 15 minutes. Season the chickens generously with salt and pepper. When the skillets are hot, carefully remove them and add 2 tsp of vegetable oil to each skillet. Place 2 chicken halves in each skillet, skin side down.

Roast in the oven for 30 minutes.

Remove the skillets from the oven and pour off any fat. Turn the chicken halves over, skin side up, and deglaze each pan with 1/4 cup of the sherry vinegar, scraping the bottom to release any browned bits. Add 4 tbsp of the butter, 1/4 cup of the reserved chicken jus and 4 shallots to each pan. Return to the oven and roast for 3 minutes.