Vinegar Chicken Thighs with Agrodolce Sauce

Thirty minutes before cooking (and up to 2 hours ahead), whisk the 1 cup white wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons honey, 4 garlic cloves, and 3 5-inch rosemary sprigs in a small bowl until the honey dissolves completely. Set aside. This rest time takes the raw edge off the garlic and lets the rosemary infuse the vinegar.

Season the 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Plan them skin-side down in a single layer in a large (14-inch) cold skillet or two smaller skillets. Turn the heat to medium and let the thighs slowly sizzle, rendering their fat. As the fat begins to accumulate, tuck small bouquets of the 10 to 12 fresh thyme sprigs in between the thighs.
☞ TESTER TIP: Why a cold pan? Starting the chicken in a cold skillet gives the fat time to slowly render out before the skin hits intense heat, which means you get maximum crispiness without the skin tightening up or burning. It also means you need no added oil — the thighs baste themselves.
Now leave them alone. I mean it! If you move them too soon, they’ll stick and you’ll panic. They’ll release on their own when they’re deeply golden-brown and the skin is crispy, 20 to 22 minutes.

Flip the thighs and cook for 5 minutes more. Transfer to a plate, tent loosely with foil to keep the chicken warm, and set aside.
Fish out and discard the naked thyme stems from the skillet. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the chicken fat.

Add the 2 anchovy fillets to the hot fat in the pan and mash it with the back of a spoon until it dissolves into a paste. You won’t taste anchovy in the finished dish—just a deep, savory thrum of flavor. Scout’s honor.
Slowly pour in the 1 cup chicken stock and scrape up all those glorious browned bits. Stir in the reserved agrodolce sauce from Step 1, then plop in the 1/3 cup golden raisins.

Bump the heat to high. Boil, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reduces by about half, 6 to 8 minutes. If you'd like a more syrupy consistency, reduce a few minutes more.
☞ TESTER TIP: Hot vinegar fumes are no joke. Open a window before this step and give yourself some distance. Consider yourself warned.
Taste the sauce. It should be assertively tart with pleasant sweetness. If the acid still snaps at you, stir in 1 more tablespoon of honey and taste. Repeat, if needed.

Reduce the heat to a simmer. Nestle the thighs back into the pan skin-side up, cover, and let them warm through and finish cooking, 3 to 6 minutes.
Spoon the sauce generously over the chicken and rush it to the table. Act appropriately humble, even though you’re a rock star.