Vinegar Chicken (Pollo all’Aceto)
This is an intriguing dish I came across while reading Aldo Santini’s Cucina Maremmana, a collection of recipes from around Maremma. This book is a wonderful resource of traditional dishes recounted by chefs, home cooks and others, where many recipes of oral tradition have finally been written down.
Santini describes this dish as an ancient one, derived from a method commonly used to cook game, such as wild boar or guinea fowl (the vinegar was not only for flavour, but also preserved the meat). In fact, along with the vinegar, the use of juniper, bay leaves and so many herbs is reminiscent of many traditional wild boar dishes, and they all help to make this sauce so very special. It has become one of my favourite dishes.
Ingredients 13
1.2 kg whole chicken, chopped into large pieces
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 brown onion, (yellow onion), finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1⁄2 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 handful fresh herbs, such as basil, sage, and parsley, roughly chopped
3 ‒ 4 juniper berries, lightly crushed
2 bay leaves
80 ml white wine vinegar
1 lemon, juiced
125 ml dry white wine
500 ml water
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
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Method 5
In a deep casserole pot, brown the (in batches if necessary) in the over high heat until evenly coloured, about 5–7 minutes. Remove the chicken from the dish and set aside.
To the same dish, add the , and with a pinch of salt and turn the heat down to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until the vegetables have softened.
Add the , and , then pour over the , and . The liquid will deglaze the pan, so scrape up any wonderful juicy brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
Return the to the pan with the vegetables, add and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, for 1 hour. Check occasionally, and top up with a little splash of water if needed. Towards the end, check for seasoning.
Serve the with its lovely sauce and any form of bread, potatoes, or polenta (for a soft, creamy polenta) to soak up the sauce.
