Oven-Crisped Chicken with Maple Vinegar Sauce

Note from Cheri: The following text and recipe is re-printed with permission from The Elements of Taste, by Peter Kaminsky and Gray Kunz, published by Little Brown & Co., 2001. This unique cookbook examines precisely how the dynamic of great taste is achieved by putting into plain language the thoughts a chef has when he or she creates a recipe. Click here for more information about The Elements of Taste as well as more sample recipes.

This is a fast, easy way to make very crisp chicken and everybody in the history of humanity loves crispy chicken. Instead of serving it with biscuits and honey, which is traditional in the South, we made it with a maple vinegar sauce, which adds sweetness through maple syrup. We topped it with cranberry, almonds, and shallots, which have the bitterness to cut sweet richness and the nuttiness to work with the maple syrup.

Taste Notes
First a tangy vinegar aroma and, right along with it, nuttiness from the almonds and butter. The crunchiness from the chicken skin and intense saltiness follow. There's a smooth overall sweetness from the maple syrup, cut by the bitter cranberry and the nuts. The cranberry also has tang, which works with the vinegar to pull out more meaty taste. The flesh of the chicken gives texture and punctuation, plus a full meaty aroma. The end notes are sweet, meaty, and salty.

Sauce 2 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup chopped shallots 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 1/3 cup cider vinegar 1/3 cup maple syrup Chicken 1 3/4 pound chicken (have butcher splay the chicken open it so it lies flat) Kosher salt freshly ground white pepper 2 tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral vegetable oil Topping 3/4 cup slivered almonds 3 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup dried cranberries 1/2 cup leeks, finely sliced then measured 1 tablespoon dried homemade bread crumbs Kosher salt freshly ground white pepper

Serves 4 -6 Prepare Sauce Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally until they are soft and translucent. Add the pepper and nutmeg. Add the vinegar, bring to a boil, then add the maple syrup. Return the sauce to a boil and reduce by half. Set aside. Prepare Chicken Preheat the oven to 500°F. Make an incision in each of the chicken's thighs, then tuck in the legs. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large heavy ovenproof skillet over high heat. Place the chicken, skin side down, in the hot pan then immediately transfer it to the oven. After 10 minutes, flip the chicken. Continue roasting, basting every so often, until the thigh juices run clear, 25-30 minutes total roasting. Remove the chicken from the skillet and allow it to rest for about 10 minutes. Pour the fat from the roasting pan and deglaze over medium low with the Maple Vinegar Sauce. Cook just until the sauce pulls together, less than a minute, then set aside in a warm place. Prepare Topping Combine the almonds and butter in a small skillet. Heat over medium-high heat and cook, turning the almonds frequently, until they are golden brown. Add the cranberries and leeks. Continue pan-roasting for 1 minute. Add the bread crumbs and season with salt and pepper. Plating Cut the chicken in serving size parts. Arrange the chicken on warm plates. Spoon first sauce, then topping, over the chicken and serve.