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VARIATION

Soy Duck

Rub the duck with salt, pepper, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon dry sherry before putting it in the pan. When it is done, garnish with minced peeled fresh ginger or minced fresh cilantro.

CHICKEN WITH RIESLING

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

TIME: 1 HOUR OR MORE

THE WINE PLAYS such a major role here that it’s worth buying the right one. Finding a good off-dry white is not difficult: Almost any German wine made with Riesling (the grape name will be on the label) will do, except for those labeled trocken, which means dry.

Although the cooking time for Chicken with Riesling is not short, it is largely unattended, and the dish can be made well in advance. In fact, as with many meat-and-liquid preparations, this may be more delicious on the second day. And this is a preparation that you can take in many directions, as you’ll see in the variations.

2 tablespoons butter or neutral oil, like corn or grapeseed

4 medium to large onions (about 1½ pounds), sliced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1½ to 2 cups off-dry Riesling

One 3- to 4-pound chicken, cut into 8 or 10 serving pieces

1. Put the butter in a skillet large enough to hold the chicken and turn the heat to medium. Add the onions, a large pinch of salt, and some pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften completely and begin to melt into a soft mass, about 20 minutes.

2. Add 1½ cups of the wine and let it bubble away for a minute, then tuck the chicken pieces among the onions; sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Turn the heat to low and cover the pan.

3. Cook, turning the chicken pieces once or twice, for 40 to 60 minutes, or until the chicken is very tender (the meat on the drumsticks will begin to loosen from the bone). If the dish appears to be drying out at any point, add the remaining wine.

4. Serve the chicken, spooning the onions and their liquid over it.

VARIATIONS

• Cook the onions for 10 minutes or so longer before adding the wine, until they darken in color and become even softer.

• While the onions are cooking, brown the chicken by putting it, skin side up, in a 500°F oven for about 20 minutes. When you add the chicken to the onions, include some of its juice.

• Tuck a couple of bay leaves and/or a few sprigs of fresh thyme in among the onions after they’ve begun to soften.

• Sauté about ¼ pound of bacon or salt pork cut into ½-inch chunks in the pan before adding the onions.

• Cook about ½ pound of sliced mushrooms (or an ounce or two of dried porcini mushrooms, reconstituted) along with the onions.

• Cook 1 tablespoon or more of chopped garlic with the onions.

• After cooking, puree the onions and their liquid in a blender for a creamlike sauce; use it to top the chicken.

CHICKEN WITH VINEGAR

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 40 MINUTES

THIS IS JUST one of several great poultry dishes from the area around Lyon, a region whose famous poulet de Bresse was long considered by many to be the best chicken in the world. Chef Paul Bocuse learned poulet au vinaigre as a youth and, some years later, showed considerable audacity by putting what is essentially a peasant dish on the menu of his Michelin three-star restaurant just outside of Lyon. He insisted that it was neither how much work nor the cost of ingredients that determined the worthiness of a dish, but how it tasted. Bravo.

2 tablespoons olive oil

One 3-pound chicken, cut up for sautéing

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup minced shallot or scallion

1 cup good-quality red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon butter (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat until it is good and hot. Put the chicken in the skillet, skin side down, and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the chicken is nicely browned. Turn and cook for 3 minutes on the other side. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

2. Put the chicken in the oven. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until it is just about done (the juices will run clear, and there will be just the barest trace