Jim Dixon wrote about food for WW for more than 20 years, but these days most of his time is spent at his olive oil-focused specialty food business Wellspent Market. Jim’s always loved to eat, and he encourages his customers to cook by sending them recipes every week through his newsletter. We’re happy to have him back creating some special dishes just for WW readers.

Five-thousand years ago, some rod-shaped obligate aerobes dropped into an open cask of wine somewhere along the Euphrates, setting off a round of oxidative fermentation that eventually pissed off the Babylonians, who were expecting to drink an adult beverage and instead took a swig of what we now call vinegar.

While that cradle-of-civilization vinegar might be the earliest known example, humans around the world used nearly anything that had a little sugar in it to make some form of alcohol, and while they certainly drank part of it they also turned some of it into vinegar.

The ancient Greeks, Romans and Chinese all cooked with vinegar, so while poulet au vinaigre is most often linked to the rustic bouchons of Lyon, something similar was likely cooked wherever there were chickens and vinegar. All that really matters is that it’s delicious, especially considering the handful of ingredients and relatively simple technique. Legendary French chef Paul Bocuse, often credited with popularizing the dish here in America, supposedly said that it was neither the amount of work nor the cost of ingredients that determined the worthiness of a dish, but how it tasted.

Chicken in Vinegar

4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4-6 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 cup wine vinegar

2 teaspoons kosher-style sea salt

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. In a Dutch oven or skillet that will hold the thighs in a single layer, heat the olive oil over medium until it begins to shimmer, then add the thighs skin-side down. Cook undisturbed for about 15 minutes, then use tongs to gently flip them, being especially careful not to let the skin stick to the pan (use the tongs to wiggle the thighs before flipping to see if they’re sticking; if they don’t release easily, cook a bit longer).

Sprinkle the chopped garlic over the chicken, add the vinegar, reduce heat to low, and cover the skillet. Cook for another 10-20 minutes, or until the thighs are cooked through. Serve with rice, bread, potatoes, or something similar to soak up the juices.