# Harry's chicken in vinegar



## Harry Cobean (Aug 7, 2012)

this is my version of a delia smith summer collection recipe.i have cooked it with poussin,the original uses chicken portions,i added potatoes & the girolles.you can use any mushroom or leave them out.i only used the girolles 'cos they are pretty,taste nice & were reduced by 75% on yellow label in tesco!.so my ingredient list for one person is: 1x450grammes(about 1 pound) poussin spatchcocked,small handful tarragon leaves,100ml(4fl ozs) sherry vinegar,350ml(12fl ozs) medium sherry,whole peeled shallots(number depends on size,i used 3 "torpedo's"),4xwhole peeled garlic cloves,scraped baby new potatoes,mushrooms,evoo,heaped tablespoon creme fraiche or yogurt,salt & ground black pepper.
heat 2 tbls evoo in a frying pan,brown seasoned chicken for a few mins.remove chicken.colour shallots/garlic in pan.put chicken back in pan.add sherry vinegar,sherry & tarragon.simmer slowly for 30-45 mins depending on quantity being cooked.microwave spuds til just cooked.remove chicken from pan to a plate,add creme fresh to reduced sherry mixture,shallots etc,add mushrooms cook for a few mins,add spuds,stir & pour over/around chicken.done!


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## Whiskadoodle (Aug 7, 2012)

Harry,  in the US we call these Cornish Game Hens.   Don't think they were raised in Cornwall though, their little legs would be wore down to nubbins by the time they hiked over to our grocers.  

I appreciate your step by step pictures you often share.  

Yes to Tarragon.   This herb is perfect with chicken.  Plus,  I have lots growning in the garden.   This recipe just made the short list.


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## Harry Cobean (Aug 7, 2012)

Whiskadoodle said:


> Harry,  in the US we call these Cornish Game Hens.   Don't think they were raised in Cornwall though, their little legs would be wore down to nubbins by the time they hiked over to our grocers.
> 
> I appreciate your step by step pictures you often share.
> 
> Yes to Tarragon.   This herb is perfect with chicken.  Plus,  I have lots growning in the garden.   This recipe just made the short list.


ahh ha,seen cornish hens mentioned on here....so that's what they are.dead easy dish to cook too....give it a go whiska....enjoy!!
glad you like the pics too...every picture tells a story & speaks a thousand words & all that stuff!!


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## Dawgluver (Aug 7, 2012)

Love the step-by-step, Harry!  Looks wonderful!


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## taxlady (Aug 7, 2012)

Looks mighty good. Isn't 350 ml a lot of sherry vinegar to use? Or did I read that wrong?


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## GotGarlic (Aug 7, 2012)

Taxlady, it's 100ml sherry vinegar and 350ml sherry. Potent mixture


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## taxlady (Aug 7, 2012)

Okay, isn't 350 ml of Sherry a lot?


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## Dawgluver (Aug 7, 2012)

Not if you like sherry.


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## taxlady (Aug 7, 2012)

Dawgluver said:


> Not if you like sherry.


1/2 a bottle of sherry makes that dish kinda 'spensive.


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## Dawgluver (Aug 7, 2012)

taxlady said:
			
		

> 1/2 a bottle of sherry makes that dish kinda 'spensive.



Indeed.


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## Harry Cobean (Aug 8, 2012)

GotGarlic said:


> Taxlady, it's 100ml sherry vinegar and 350ml sherry. Potent mixture





taxlady said:


> Okay, isn't 350 ml of Sherry a lot?





Dawgluver said:


> Not if you like sherry.





taxlady said:


> 1/2 a bottle of sherry makes that dish kinda 'spensive.





Dawgluver said:


> Indeed.





Dawgluver said:


> Love the step-by-step, Harry!  Looks wonderful!


thanks dawg,i try to take pics in a way that you could cook the dish from the pics alone...plus i got beaten up by blissful for not using Caps Shift...didn't i bliss..so pics keep the verbage down!!maybe a few people will think "if that grey haired old git on t'other side of pond can do it anyone can" and give it a go...chuck out the jargon & give it a go in my book!!
about the sherry...two things chaps,i have reduced the quantity of the vinegar & sherry from the original to suit the quantity i was cooking...the original was 150ml vinegar & 425ml sherry!!!! the original recipe is for 4 servings
don't know if it's because the brits have a history of drinking sherry but we do import a lot.some of the older firms like harveys own their own vineyards in jerez & mature the wine in casks in the uk which,i guess,helps hold the cost down.a good quality amontillado will cost £4-£5 pounds here.the bottle i bought was good enough to drink & cook with & was less than £4!!
is it expensive over there?
thinking on me feet,if the cost of sherry is prohibitive for you guy's,why not try a medium dry wine & use a smaller quantity of say balsamic vinegar to get that sweet/sour flavour.....infact,blow me down,i like the sound of that more than the sherry vinegar/sherry combo....hmmm will try that & let you know.
lastly garlic you are right,it is a potent mix,makes yer eyes water at first as the alcohol/acid cooks off,but by the end of cooking it's reduced to a wonderful sweet/sour syrupy stock & most of the acid/alcohol has cooked out!!
will try the balsamico/wine combo & let you know,bet it would work a treat with pork chops too,like i said chuck out the jargon & the recipes....it's your food!


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## Kylie1969 (Aug 8, 2012)

Looks fantastic as always H


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## Harry Cobean (Aug 8, 2012)

Kylie1969 said:


> Looks fantastic as always H


cheers ears....b*ggered up years of seasoning of me cast iron pan tho'....silly me never thought of that.the vinegar did a lovely job of stripping it back to the metal....doh!!
scrubbed it out,heated it up,coated with oil,let it cool....did that two or three times last night so it's getting there but won't be the same till i've cooked in it a few times....good excuse to use it tho'!!


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## taxlady (Aug 8, 2012)

Harry Cobean said:


> thanks dawg,i try to take pics in a way that you could cook the dish from the pics alone...plus i got beaten up by blissful for not using Caps Shift...didn't i bliss..so pics keep the verbage down!!maybe a few people will think "if that grey haired old git on t'other side of pond can do it anyone can" and give it a go...chuck out the jargon & give it a go in my book!!
> about the sherry...two things chaps,i have reduced the quantity of the vinegar & sherry from the original to suit the quantity i was cooking...the original was 150ml vinegar & 425ml sherry!!!! the original recipe is for 4 servings
> don't know if it's because the brits have a history of drinking sherry but we do import a lot.some of the older firms like harveys own their own vineyards in jerez & mature the wine in casks in the uk which,i guess,helps hold the cost down.a good quality amontillado will cost £4-£5 pounds here.the bottle i bought was good enough to drink & cook with & was less than £4!!
> is it expensive over there?
> ...


I buy the cheapest Sherry they have at the SAQ (provincially run liquor stores). It's $9.95 for a 750 ml bottle, so not that bad. I am completely unfamiliar with sherry, except for cooking with it. I tasted this stuff and it's good enough to drink, so it's good enough to cook with.


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## Rocklobster (Aug 8, 2012)

Nice recipe....I have about 8 chickens in the freezer. Gonna give this a whirl next time...


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## Gravy Queen (Aug 8, 2012)

Great job there Harry! This is one of my fave receeps . I like what you have done with it, the girolles and the banana shallots look great and I like the idea of using poisson . I think this just smells so good when it's cooking .

As Harry has said , sherry is cheap as chips here and so many to choose from so you can find a decent one to cook with and drink . 

I will be making it soon sans doubt !


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## CharlieD (Aug 8, 2012)

Why do you need skewers?


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## Harry Cobean (Aug 8, 2012)

CharlieD said:


> Why do you need skewers?


afternoon charlie...the poussin,as you know,are very young chickens,the joints are very fragile & the tendons/ligaments soft,so once you have spatchcocked the chicken the skewers strengthen & hold the bird together/in shape when you turn it during cooking.it is also a good measure of "doneness"if there is such a word.because the skewer goes through the thickest part of the meat,if it can be pulled out clean & the juices run clear then the meat is cooked.
cheers charlie!!


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## Harry Cobean (Aug 8, 2012)

Rocklobster said:


> Nice recipe....I have about 8 chickens in the freezer. Gonna give this a whirl next time...


do all eight rock,you won't regret it & you'll only need about a gallon of booze for the pot....enjoy!!


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## Harry Cobean (Aug 8, 2012)

Gravy Queen said:


> Great job there Harry! This is one of my fave receeps . I like what you have done with it, the girolles and the banana shallots look great and I like the idea of using poisson . I think this just smells so good when it's cooking .
> 
> As Harry has said , sherry is cheap as chips here and so many to choose from so you can find a decent one to cook with and drink .
> 
> I will be making it soon sans doubt !


thanks gravy,glad you approve....it was you saying how good it was that prompted me to try it.the poussin were buy two for a fiver @ tesco so i'm doing peri peri or piri piri....oh sod it poussin with chillies tonight...watch this space....marinading as we speak....think i might have over done the indian finger chillies...will know tomorrow....ouch!!


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## Gravy Queen (Aug 8, 2012)

Just added the two for a fiver poussins to my online order and some eschalion shallots so I can make this at the weekend . Scrummy and a swig of sherry for the cook!  Fresh tuna steaks tonight with a lime and caper vinagrette . Oh and there is a big ball yellow thing in the sky ! Whoop whoop !


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## Harry Cobean (Aug 8, 2012)

Gravy Queen said:


> Just added the two for a fiver poussins to my online order and some eschalion shallots so I can make this at the weekend . Scrummy and a swig of sherry for the cook!  Fresh tuna steaks tonight with a lime and caper vinagrette . Oh and there is a big ball yellow thing in the sky ! Whoop whoop !


yellow ball in sky to be sure,nice & warm here too.take some pics of your tuna hun


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## Harry Cobean (Aug 8, 2012)

taxlady said:


> I buy the cheapest Sherry they have at the SAQ (provincially run liquor stores). It's $9.95 for a 750 ml bottle, so not that bad. I am completely unfamiliar with sherry, except for cooking with it. I tasted this stuff and it's good enough to drink, so it's good enough to cook with.


hmmm,so approx 40% more than here? not up to date with exchange rates.but that ain't too bad tax.i am going to try the balsamico/wine mix too...never know,might have hit on something & if not i'll have have a bottle of plonko collapso to drown me sorrows!


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## Gravy Queen (Aug 8, 2012)

Harry Cobean said:


> yellow ball in sky to be sure,nice & warm here too.take some pics of your tuna hun



I couldn't be fagged


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## Harry Cobean (Aug 8, 2012)

Gravy Queen said:


> I couldn't be fagged


fine


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## buckytom (Aug 8, 2012)

ok, now i need to start a "harry's recipes" file on my 'puter.

another good one, har. copied and saved, unfagged.


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## Harry Cobean (Aug 8, 2012)

buckytom said:


> ok, now i need to start a "harry's recipes" file on my 'puter.
> 
> another good one, har. copied and saved, unfagged.


top man tom,check out the piri piri chicken receep too....i swear you'll love it...also unfagged!!


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## buckytom (Aug 8, 2012)

on my way.


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## Kylie1969 (Aug 14, 2012)

buckytom said:


> ok, now i need to start a "harry's recipes" file on my 'puter.



Me too


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