Balsamic Chicken

Balsamic Chicken

I love vinegar and often treat myself to a little spoonful straight from the bottle. Balsamic is the one I go for when I feel the need for a little sweetness. I just love this simple chicken dish. The balsamic, onion and chicken juices cook down to form the most delicious sweet and sour sauce. So good!

enough for 4
takes: 60 minutes
1 chicken or 8 drumsticks
2 onions, peeled & chopped
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons butter
1 bag salad leaves

1. Preheat your oven to 200C (400F).

2. If using the whole chicken chop it into 4 pieces by chopping down the backbone, down the front and then between the breast and thigh. Otherwise get your butcher to do this for you.

3. Place onion in an oven proof casserole dish. Top with chicken pieces, balsamic and butter. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes.

4. Remove the cover and bake for another 25-30 minutes or until the chicken is well browned and no longer pink in the middle.

5. Serve chicken and juices with salad leaves on the side.

Variations

different chicken – I prefer chicken on the bone for this. Marylands are great or thighs or drumsticks. Also lovely with duck marylands.

carnivore – replace chicken with 4 large pieces of osso buco or 4 beef short ribs. Increase cooking time to 3-4 hours at 180C. Uncover for the last 1/2 hour.

vegetarian / vegan – replace chicken with 4 large field or portabello mushrooms. And vegans will want to use extra virgin olive oil instead of the butter.

more substantial / carb lovers – serve with crusty bread and butter, add chopped potatoes to the chicken, or toss cooked pasta in with the balsamic juices.

different vinegar / no sugar – replace the 1/2 cup balsamic with 1/4 cup other wine vinegar such as sherry or red wine vinegar. Or use apple cider vinegar.

more veg – feel free to add in baby carrots, baby potatoes, celery or button mushrooms to the chicken.

short on time – skip the onion and use boneless thighs or breast instead. Pan fry until cooked through then add half the balsamic to the pan to deglaze.

Waste Avoidance Strategy

chicken – freeze it.

onions / balsamic vinegar – keep them in the pantry.

butter – keeps in the fridge for months.

salad leaves – are highly perishable. My first path would be to use them for another meal (salad for breakfast!) but if that isn’t possible you can pop them in the freezer. They will wilt down but can then be used anywhere you’d use wilted greens, like this simple plate of greens. At least this way they wont go slimey.