Chicken with Red Wine Vinegar, Tomato, and Shallots

I think of this popular French dish as “comfort” food. All the flavors are familiar yet greatly magnified by steady slow cooking of the sauce base. Something wondrous emerges as red wine vinegar, rich tomato sauce, sliced shallot, garlic, and a touch of honey slowly meld together in a clay pot. Long cooking of the vinegar softens acidity while deepening flavor, with the result that the sauce comes out perfectly balanced and never overwhelms the chicken.