NFT: Chicken in Vinegar

From last weeks menus. A French dish I've been eating for many years. This recipe is from Emeril and has a cream sauce. The one I had used previously was from Laura Calder, and had fewer ingredients, probably more classic. Check my notes after the recipe.

Chicken In Vinegar Lyon Style

1 chicken or fryer, 3 1/2 to 4 pounds, cut into 8 pieces, rinsed and patted dry
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 cup good-quality white wine vinegar
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped, about 1 cup
2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons creme fraiche or heavy cream
Chopped parsley, garnish
Artichoke hearts
onion, sliced
garlic
sliced bacon, 1/2 pound
Directions
In a skillet, cook bacon over low heat, until crisp. Set aside.
Season the chicken evenly on both sides with the salt and pepper.
In the skillet, add the artichokes to the bacon fat. Saute. Add the garlic and sliced onion. Cook until onion is translucent.
In a large Dutch oven, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter with the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and garlic cloves and cook until the chicken is well browned, turning once, about 8 to 10 minutes per side. Add the vinegar and stir to loosen any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the tomatoes, cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium. Cook until the chicken is tender, about 25 minutes. Transfer the chicken pieces to a warmed platter and cover to keep warm.
Add the chicken stock to the pot and bring to a boil, scraping any browned bits that cling to the sides or bottom of the pan. Cook until the sauce is reduced by 1/3 in volume, about 10 minutes. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve and return to the pan, discarding the solids. Reduce the heat to low. Add the remaining butter, a piece at a time, whisking constantly until all the butter has been added and the sauce is smooth and thick. Do not allow the sauce to boil and remove from the heat as necessary to prevent from breaking. Add the creme fraiche and whisk to combine. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
Ladle the sauce over the chicken. Top with the artichokes and onion. Cut the bacon into large lardons and sprinkle over top.

First off, I used only bone-in, skin-on thighs. I cooked the bacon and reserved. I browned the garlic and chicken in the Dutch oven, then removed them, peeled off the chicken skin, and fried the fat side of the skin in the bacon skillet until both sides were crispy. I've said before, I don't like how braising softens browned chicken skin. I put the skin aside with the bacon, then proceeded with the recipe. (I removed the garlic from the skins, diced it, and put it back into the sauce. When everything was finished, I cut both the bacon and crispy chicken skin into pieces and sprinkled over finished dish.
With the onions and artichokes in this recipe, I didn't bother with a side. The Calder recipe, linked, is more basic and you would want to do a side with it.
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