Author Notes

I include this divine Lyonnaise dish in a class I have taught many times featuring four (and sometimes five!) chicken dishes from different parts of France. Many of my students are put off by the title of the recipe, but when the class is over, they almost unanimously declare this dish to be their favorite!



The smarty-pants trick to success with this recipe is: you absolutely, positively MUST pour off most of the fat after browning/mostly cooking the chicken. Then, you must reduce the vinegar to a very thick syrup. Otherwise when you add the crème fraiche, the sauce will turn out beige and watery. —ChefJune

Test Kitchen Notes

Variants on this have become a nostalgia-inducing staple since my time in Lyon. Bocuse’s take uses purely butter, but ChefJune’s combination of fats leaves nothing to be desired -- one could be forgiven for nibbling chicken as the vinegar reduces. If your pan is full, as mine was, give the chicken closer to 15 minutes per side. I used Pompeian vinegar -- vinegar enthusiasts may want to back off on the cream, but however you prefer your sauce, the most important thing is to have a fine baguette on hand to sop it up! —kdavey