Recipe: Cuistot’s sautéed chicken with red wine vinegar sauce

Dear SOS: Our favorite restaurant in Palm Desert is Cuistot. On his lunch menu, the chef used to have the best chicken dish we have ever eaten. It is a vinegar chicken preparation, and we would love to have the recipe. We hope he will share it with you and us.

-- Michael and Madeline Kennedy, Costa Mesa

Dear Michael and Madeline: Chef Bernard Dervieux was happy to share the simple secret to this crisp but succulent chicken: high heat. After sautéing the chicken briefly in a large skillet, place the skillet in a 500-degree oven. Finish the dish with a pan sauce made from the drippings. A little red wine and red wine vinegar bring depth and a nice sharpness to the sauce.

Sautéed chicken with red wine vinegar sauce

Total time: 50 minutes

Servings: 4

Note: Adapted from chef Bernard Dervieux of Cuistot in Palm Desert. The chef recommends Cabernet vinegar for the red wine vinegar in the recipe.

4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts or whole legs

Salt, pepper

2 tablespoons butter, divided

4 whole garlic cloves, skin-on

2 tablespoons chopped shallots

3 tablespoons red wine

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 cup chicken broth

2 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced

Chopped chives or parsley for garnish

1. Heat the oven to 500 degrees. Sprinkle each piece of chicken lightly on each side with one-eighth teaspoon salt and a grind or two of pepper.

2. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large ovenproof skillet. Add the chicken, skin-side down, along with the garlic cloves. Sauté over medium-high heat, until the skin is golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the chicken and repeat on the other side.

3. Place the pan, with the chicken skin-side up, in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes until cooked through. The meat will be firm and the juices will run clear, and a thermometer inserted will read 165 degrees.

4. Remove the chicken from the skillet, cover and set aside in a warm place. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the drippings from the pan, and return to the stove over medium heat. Add the shallots, cooking until they caramelize, about 2 minutes. Add the red wine and vinegar and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, a few minutes. Add the chicken broth and tomatoes and stir to combine; adjust seasoning. Whisk in the remaining tablespoon of butter, swirling to thicken the sauce.

5. Return the chicken to the sauce and heat 1 to 2 minutes until warmed through. Sprinkle with chives or parsley and serve immediately.

Each serving: 265 calories; 30 grams protein; 2 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 13 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 97 mg. cholesterol; 751 mg. sodium.