Chicken with Bacon and Vinegar

This is another of those recipes from The Accidental Goumet, with an odd name. So, I just call it Chicken with Bacon and Vinegar. I mean, how can I remember something like "Slick Chick" and know where to find it?!?

This is amazingly easy. Naturally, I make it with chicken thighs. When I use bone-in pieces, I find I have to cook it longer than the recipe calls for. When I do that, the sauce reduces a bit and thickens very nicely.

Chicken with Bacon and Vinegar

4 slices bacon

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/2 pounds)

1 large shallot

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

Seasoning to taste

Dice the bacon. Rinse and pat dry the chicken breasts. Peel and mince the shallots.

Sauté the bacon in a large skillet for 3 minutes. Add the shallot and cook for 2 minutes. Add the chicken and sauté until golden - about 5 minutes per side.

Add the vinegar, season to taste, cover, and reduce the heat. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through - about 10 to 15 minutes.

Brown Sugar Oatmeal Muffins

This is a favorite "plain" muffin - the kind you can use with jams and jellies without the flavors fighting. 

Brown Sugar Oatmeal Muffins

1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted, or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin cups, or use foil or paper baking cups.

Thoroughly mix oats, flours, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

Whisk eggs and brown sugar in another bowl. When smooth, whisk in milk, melted butter, and vanilla. Pour over dry ingredients. Fold in with a rubber spatula, just until dry ingredients are moistened. 

Scoop the batter into muffin cups. Bake 15 to 25 minutes, or until springy to the touch in the center. Turn out onto a rack to cool.


DONNA'S NOTES: I usually reduce the sugar to 1/2 cup.

Chicken Breasts with Tarragon

Here is yet another chicken recipe. Yes, I do cook lots of chicken! This is rich, and I love tarragon! I received this recipe from a woman I rode the bus with years ago, and it's a real winner.

Chicken Breast with Tarragon

3 whole chicken breasts, boned and halved

Salt and freshly-ground pepper

¼ cup flour

¼ cup butter

1 tablespoon chopped shallots or onion

¼ cup dry with wine

1 teaspoon freshly-chopped tarragon, or ½ teaspoon dried

¼ cup chicken broth

¼ cup heavy cream

Skin breasts; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Dredge with flour; reserve remaining flour.

In large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons butter. Brown chicken on both sides; transfer to a heated platter. Add shallots to skillet and sauté briefly. Add the wine.

Cook liquid over high heat until nearly evaporated, while scraping loose all the brown particles.

Add reserved flour, and stir to make a thick paste. Sprinkle with tarragon, and stir in chicken broth.

Put chicken back in pan; cover and cook until tender – about 25 minutes. Transfer to heated platter and keep warm.

Add the remaining butter and the cream. Heat, stirring, and pour over chicken to serve.

DONNA’S NOTES: I use chicken thighs for this, as usual, and they certainly don’t need 25 minutes of cooking! If I use bone-in, skin-on thighs, they would require more time. I brown the chicken for 5 minutes on each sided, then take them out of the skillet. I typically don’t use wine, so I use chicken broth instead. You know by now that I don’t cook anything over high heat; it’s not needed here, either. After I put the chicken back into the pan, I may cook it for 5 or 8 minutes more, depending on my sense of how well-done the pieces are. We do no like our chicken overdone! You can certainly cut the fat in this recipe. I’ll try it with olive oil in place of much of the butter, and I know that half and half works well in place of cream.

In my experience, this recipe doesn’t make enough sauce for six chicken breast halves. I’m usually only cooking two to four thighs, so it’s plenty for that. However, if you’re fixing six pieces, I’d at least double the recipe.