Chicken thighs or breasts get a quick sear and finish in a pan sauce made from the shelf's bottled vinaigrette, stretched with stock and a knob of butter. The dressing's dried herbs and vinegar mellow into something that tastes homemade. Serve with rice or crusty bread to catch every drop.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 18 at the stove.

About 770 calories a serving, 81 g protein, 7 g carbohydrate, 45 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Pat 1 pound of chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and black pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil from the bottle over medium-high heat in a 10-inch skillet until shimmering, then lay the chicken skin-side down and leave it alone for 6 minutes, until golden and the skin releases easily.6 min
2. Flip the chicken skin-side up and cook for another 4 minutes, then transfer to a plate. You are looking for the thighs to be cooked through or nearly there.4 min
3. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan, then add 1/2 cup of stock and 1/2 cup of the vinaigrette dressing and bring to a simmer over medium heat, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom with a wooden spoon. Let this bubble for 2 minutes and taste for salt and pepper.2 min
4. Whisk in 1 tablespoon of butter until it melts and the sauce turns glossy. Nestle the chicken back into the pan skin-side up and spoon the sauce over it, then let it warm through for 1 minute.1 min

Note Swap chicken thighs for breasts if you prefer, though thighs stay more tender. The pan sauce keeps for two days covered in the refrigerator; rewarm gently. Serve with white rice, couscous, or toasted bread, and a simple green salad dressed with what's left in the bottle.