Jean-Georges Vongerichten learned how to make this recipe from the great Paul Bocuse, who added it to his repertoire while cooking for Eugenie Brazier, his teacher at La Mère Brazier in Lyon, France. Chicken with vinegar is one of the great poultry dishes from that area, where the chickens are considered by many to be the best in the world. Mr. Bocuse insisted that it was neither the amount of work nor the cost of ingredients that determined the worthiness of a dish, but how it tasted. The variations are numerous, but the piercing flavor of vinegar is so dominant that it matters little whether you use shallots or garlic, thyme or tarragon. One technical note: Most wine vinegar sold in the United States has an acidity level of 7 percent; many French vinegars are just 5 percent acidity. So it's best to cut strong vinegar with some water.

Featured in: The Minimalist; A Three Star Peasant Dish.