Chicken in sweet and sour sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken (weighing 1.5-1.8 kg), cut into 8 pieces
• Premium flour for dusting
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 450 g shallots, halved
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme
• 0.5 cup apple cider vinegar
• 0.5 cups non-alcoholic unfiltered apple cider
• 1/3 cup golden raisins
• 2 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, diced

Preparation:

1. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 220°C.
2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, season with salt and pepper. Dust the skin with flour. Place a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil, and heat until shimmering.
3. Add the chicken skin-side down and cook until the skin is golden, about 5 minutes. Turn the pieces over and drain any excess fat. Place the shallots under and around the chicken and cook until golden, about 2 more minutes.
4. Push the chicken toward the sides of the pan and add the tomato paste and thyme to the center. Cook until the paste darkens, about 30 seconds. Add the vinegar, apple cider, and raisins, bring to a boil, and simmer for 1 minute.
5. Place the skillet in the oven and bake the chicken until cooked through, 10-12 minutes.
6. Transfer the chicken, skin side up, to an ovenproof serving dish and return to the turned-off oven.
7. Bring the remaining sauce to a boil and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Reduce the heat and stir in the butter. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.