Vinegar-Braised Chicken with Farro and Watercress

I liked this recipe. I like most recipes that use vinegar! This Vinegar-Braised Chicken with Farro and Watercress was a perfect cool night dish. We had made a perfect salad with Burrata and Fresh Tomatoes. I added some Gribness (Fried Chicken Skin) its not healthy but I love it!

Vinegar-Braised Chicken with Farro and Watercress

Dining In

Alison Roman

Serves 4

1      (3ft- to 4-pound) chicken, cut up into pieces, or 2 bone-in breasts and 2 bone-in legs

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1           tablespoon canola oil

1      head of garlic, halved crosswise

1      cup farro or spelt

½     cup white distilled vinegar or white wine vinegar

1      tablespoon yuzu kosho (optional)

4      cups watercress, thick stems removed

do ahead: Chicken can be cooked 2 days ahead and refrigerated. Rewarm over low heat with the lid on, adding a bit of water to the pot to prevent the chicken from drying out.

During the summer of extreme recipe testing for this book, a friend of mine came to visit his brother and newborn nephew in New York. They lived in my neighborhood, and I wanted to send them something as congratulations. During this specific time, my kitchen was producing food at an alarming rate. Roasts and stews, cakes and pies—I had basically turned into the hottest restaurant in Brooklyn that nobody had ever heard of.

For whatever reason, I chose to send my friend off with some chicken so he could bring it to his family. Not a remarkable chicken, either. It's maybe one of the simplest dishes in the whole book: a one-pot meal made from a few humble ingredients, two of which are salt and pepper. I plopped it into a
ziplock bag (I ran out of Tupperwhere) and made him promise he would transfer it back to a pot, a plate, a bowl-literally anything to conceal the fact that I had just gifted his family a chicken in a ziplock bag to welcome their newborn into the world.

want to think he tried to explain the situation ("She ran out of Tupperware!"), but even still, I couldn't help feel a little mortified. He eventually confessed the chicken never made it onto a plate, but if it was any consolation, his mom said, "This chicken-in-a-bag is so good, she should sell it on the street."

1.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Sear the chicken (working in batches, if needed), skin-side down, until golden brown on both sides, 10 to 12 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate or cutting board.

2.  Add the garlic and farro to the pot, stirring to coat them in the rendered chicken fat. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the garlic and farro begin to smell toasty, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the vinegar, yuzu kosho (if using), and 4 cups water, scraping up any bits on the bottom of the pan, and bring to a simmer.

3.  Return the chicken to the pot, skin-side up, and cover. Reduce the heat to medium-low and gently simmer until the chicken is practically falling off the bone and the farro is totally cooked through—it should be tender but not mushy—about 90 minutes.

4.  Stir in the watercress before serving.

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