Chicken Braised With Grapes

Name: Chicken Braised With Grapes
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Cuisine: french
Ingredients: 3 1/2 pound chicken, cut in 10 pieces (breasts halved, backbone and wingtips removed); 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; Salt and ground black pepper; 1 medium red onion, finely chopped; 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced; 1/4 cup sherry vinegar, preferably Pedro Ximénez; 1/4 cup chicken stock; 1 teaspoon ground cardamom; 1 pound seedless red grapes, cut into small clusters leaving stems attached; 3 sprigs fresh thyme; 1 tablespoon high-quality syrupy balsamic vinegar or pomegranate molasses

By Florence Fabricant

Total Time: 1 hour
Rating: 4(458)
Comments: Read comments

This chicken casserole is simple to prepare, yet stunning and a trifle unusual to serve. The addition of whole clusters of seedless grapes elevates it from easy everyday to dinner-party material. I based it on two recipes: the memory of a chicken dish that I ate many years ago in Toulouse, France, and the classic poulet au vinaigre, or chicken in vinegar sauce. A mellow, aged sherry vinegar and a high-quality balsamic complement the grapes. I prefer a 15-year-old balsamic, which replaces the smidgen of tomato that is often included in poulet au vinaigre. One final tip: Be sure the grapes you select — and they can be black or green instead of red — are sweet and have green stems, an indication of freshness.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

3½pound chicken, cut in 10 pieces (breasts halved, backbone and wingtips removed)
1tablespoon unsalted butter
Salt and ground black pepper
1medium red onion, finely chopped
2cloves garlic, thinly sliced
¼cup sherry vinegar, preferably Pedro Ximénez
¼cup chicken stock
1teaspoon ground cardamom
1pound seedless red grapes, cut into small clusters leaving stems attached
3sprigs fresh thyme
1tablespoon high-quality syrupy balsamic vinegar or pomegranate molasses

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Pat chicken parts dry. Melt butter in a 4-quart casserole. Brown chicken on both sides, a few pieces at a time, over medium-high heat, removing pieces to a platter as they finish. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium.
Step 2
Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, a couple of minutes until soft. Stir in sherry vinegar, chicken stock and cardamom. Return chicken to the pot and baste with stock mixture. Place grape bunches in pot, add thyme, cover and reduce heat to very low. Let cook 30 minutes. Chicken juices should run clear when thigh or leg is pierced with the tip of a knife.
Step 3
Transfer chicken to a warm serving platter and arrange grape clusters on top and around chicken. Tent with foil to keep warm. Heat pot on high, stir in balsamic vinegar and cook 2 to 3 minutes until sauce is somewhat reduced and thickened. Check seasoning. Discard thyme. Spoon sauce over chicken and grapes, and serve.

Ratings

4 out of 5

458 user ratings

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Comments

Figaro7 years ago

I'm surprised that I'm the 1st cook to comment on this delicious and easy recipe. It's perfect for the holidays. I prepared half a chicken (2 of us); used aged sherry vinegar and 'Fini' balsamic. It was absolutely delicious over Martha Rose's Pilaf with Pistachios and Almonds. Do give it a try.

Annie7 years ago

The first time I used grapes in a savory dish was from a recipe from America's Test Kitchen, Italian sausage with grapes. It was delicious and since I have experimented using grapes. This was absolutely delicious, easy to prep, company fare for sure. Do yourselves a favor and remove the grapes from the stems, add them to the sauce so they don't completely deflate, look better for presentation.

Allison7 years ago

I used pork medallions from a pork tenderloin instead of chicken. I browned the pork and took it out of the pan while I made and reduced the sauce. Pork medallions cook very quickly so I added them at the end. It's hard to get cooked grapes off of the little vines, but the sauce was delicious. This was easy to make and didn't take a lot of time.

Wink O.6 months ago

Not sure what I did wrong here. It smelled amazing while cooking but fell flat on my palate. The grapes (plucked from the stems before cooking) were delicious but the chicken was unexpectedly flavorless. I think I should have browned the chicken longer, but I was afraid any more smoke would set off the fire alarm. Note: I cooked the recipe in an enameled cast iron braiser, but the taller sides of a Dutch oven probably would have helped limit some spatter.

Kentfield Barbara1 year ago

This was delicious and so easy to make. I served with mashed potatoes and cubed roasted squash. The thighs were on the larger size so I simmered them for 40 minutes. One could run it under the broiler if crisper skin is desired.

mlh2 years ago

This is really good, and very forgiving! I used allspice and tarragon, added a bit more broth to keep things saucy, and a pat of cold butter at the end. Fabulous, simple enough for a weekday night. Served mashed potatoes (rice would work) to sop up the wonderful sauce!

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