Updating a classic: French Vinegar chicken

Ragazzi, Annalena does not often  publish two versions of the "same" recipe, but today, she is doing so, for a very simple reason:  this one simplifies her earlier one, so it's ideal for when you want a quicker meal.  She warns you that it is not as light as it looks,  and you will see ways of lightening it, if you like.  Annalena did do so, and she'll tell you how.

Vinegar chicken is a classic dish of the French farm house.    Those French farmers did it right, in Annalena's opinion.  Something you can make, with stuff you either have around, or can get, and get on the table quickly.

So, here we go, ragazzi.  The original  recipe is for four legs.  Annalena did six of them, so she kicked up the vinegar.

You need full chicken legs for this:  not drumsticks, and not thighs.  Annalena, as she says, had six of them.  This is about five pounds of chicken.  IF you happen to have time (which Annalena did not), sprinkle the with salt and pepper and let them sit in the fridge, overnight.  If not, pat them very dry, salt and pepper them, and get your other ingredients ready.

Your other ingredients are 3/4 cup of red wine vinegar, a cup and a half of chicken stock, and a 14 ounce can of peeled tomatoes , with their juice.    Open that can, crush the tomatoes with  your hands, and that is the hardest thing you're going to do.

Put a couple of tablespoons of butter into a big pan, with an equal quantity of olive oil (this is where you can cut things down, ragazzi.  ).  When the butter melts, add half of the chicken, and brown it well, on both sides.  This is going to be a braise, so you want that color.  It will probably take you about twenty minutes to finish all of the chicken, but you won't need to add any  more butter or oil.  The fat from the chicken skin will take care of that.

When it's all brown, look at all that fat in the pan, and drain all but about a tablespoon of it away (this, too, will cut down on the bad stuff).  Now, get the vinegar ready, and also be ready to look away.  Add it all, and PLEASE MOVE YOUR HEAD AWAY.  The pan is hot, the vinegar is going to vaporize, and the last thing Annalena wants her army to do is to inhale these fumes.  Make sure your windows are open, as you reduce this vinegar by half (to tell:   put half of it in, see the mark on your pan, and then add the rest.  When it's down to the mark, you're there).  Put the chicken in, turn it a few times.  Add the tomatoes, and the broth, turn the heat to low, cover the pan, and go away for 30-40 minutes.

You will come back to a dish that is really, REALLY good, but is better with sitting.  The acidity of the vinegar "tames" on sitting, until it is almost citrusy.

Any starch will go with this, but Annalena really liked it with cooked farro and mushrooms.

So, put this one in the "how easy was THAT " camp, cook up a batch of it, and have a good old classic French meal