Dish of Chicken in Verjus Sauce
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Chicken in Verjus Sauce


France, Dordogne   -   Cuisses de Poulet au Verjus a la Dordogne
Serves:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 5 main
***
2 hrs
Yes		 Verjus provides a more interesting flavor than vinegar and a different sort of sourness (tartaric acid rather than acetic acid). This recipe is simple and easy to make, and see Note-5.

3
1/2
1/3
12
2
1
1/2
1/3
1
2
2/3
1/3
36
------

#
t
t
cl
T
T
c
c
c
T
t
t

---

Chicken Meat (1)  
Salt
Pepper
Garlic
Butter
Olive Oil
Wine, white (2)
Verjus (3)
Chicken Stock (4)
Verjus
Salt
Pepper
Sour Grapes
-- Garnish
Parsley, chopped
Prep   -   (20 min)
  1. Cut CHICKEN into large bite-size pieces. If using bone-in, cut into larger pieces. Massage in Salt and Pepper. Refrigerate if you need time, but in any case, let the chicken come to room temperature before frying (about 1/2 hour).
  2. Peel GARLIC, Leaving whole.
  3. Chop Parsley for garnish.
Run   -   (1-1/2 hrs)
  1. Heat Butter and Oil in a spacious sauté pan (3-1/2 qt, 5 qt if bone in pieces) and fry Chicken and Garlic over fairly low heat (pan temperature about 275°F/135°C) tumbling fairly often until lightly browned. Watch that the fond adhering to the pan doesn't get too dark - should be reddish brown, not chocolate.
  2. IF using skin-on joints, pour off the accumulated fats.
  3. Pour in White Wine and simmer tightly covered for 10 minutes.
  4. Pour in 1/3 c Verjus and immediately cover tightly to lock in aromas. Simmer 5 minutes or so, tumbling chicken once.
  5. Pour in Stock, bring to a boil and simmer covered another 5 minutes or until chicken is tender (see Note-5).
  6. IF you are using skin-on joints and have drained the fat as mentioned above, stir in 2 T Butter.
  7. Taste for seasoning. Add Verjus to taste, along with Salt (the amount given presumes salt-free stock) and Pepper.
  8. Stir in Sour Grapes just long enough to warm through, then serve, garnished with Parsley.
NOTES:

  1. Chicken:

      I use thigh meat, which has better flavor and texture than the cardboard breast meat we get around here, but if you aren't up to dismantling thighs you can use 5-3/4 pounds of whole bone-in thighs cut into pieces (and a bigger pan) - or the packaged boneless leg meat that appeared on the market when the Russians stopped taking our surplus legs. The pattern recipe called for leg and thigh, bone in and skin on, cut into serving pieces - about 6 pounds. I cut into skinless boneless chunks because that's more practical for buffet service, and I can use the skin and bones for the stock. For details see our Chicken page.

  2. White Wine:

    This should be a crisp dry wine.

  3. Verjus:

      This is made from unripe grapes. You can make your own if you can get the grapes (April to June), or it is available bottled from California, and also Perigord, France (but at considerably greater cost). For how to make it see our recipe Verjus.

  4. Stock:

      This should be a rather strong home-made stock. I buy my chicken thighs whole and use the skins and bones to make the stock a few hours or the day before starting this recipe.

  5. Do-Ahead:

      If making ahead, stop cooking before the chicken is quite tender so it will not start breaking up into shreds during reheating.
  6. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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