As I get back into the groove of my work schedule, home responsibilities, cooking and the like after vacation, I have tried to keep meals relatively simple this week. One of old standby favorites has always been balsamic chicken. Balsamic chicken is one of those meals that is very simple to put together and you can get a great, tangy sauce and glaze on your chicken that is perfect over mashed potatoes or rice. Michelle always used to order balsamic chicken at one of our favorite restaurants so I do try to make it every now and then as a nice reminder. This particular recipe that I used this time is from Williams-Sonoma and only makes use of a few ingredients to make things even easier for you.

Balsamic Braised Chicken

3 pounds of chicken pieces (breasts, thighs, drumsticks) or 1 chicken cut into 8 pieces

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, unpeeled

1 shallot, diced

1 fresh rosemary sprig

1 cup dry red wine

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels and season the chicken well with salt and pepper on both sides. In a large saute pan set over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil until it is shimmering. Add the chicken pieces to the pan along with the garlic and shallot and cook the chicken, turning the pieces as it is needed, until the pieces are well browned on both sides, about 20 minutes total. Adjust the heat as is necessary so that you prevent the garlic and shallots from burning.

Tip the saute pan and spoon off any excess fat that you can. Add the rosemary sprig, the red wine and the balsamic vinegar and bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan and cook, turning the chicken pieces occasionally,until the chicken is opaque throughout when tested with a knife, about 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer the chicken pieces to a warmed platter and cover the chicken to keep it warm.

Raise the heat under the saute pan to high and bring the liquid in the pan to a boil and cook until the liquid is reduced and has thickened, creating a flavorful pan sauce, about 5 minutes. Remove and discard the garlic cloves and the rosemary sprig. Taste and adjust the seasoning of the sauce as necessary. Spoon the sauce over the chicken pieces and serve immediately.

You get great flavor of the sauce as it clings to chicken and I love the combination of the red wine with the balsamic to really give the dish great flavor. The shallots also make a nice addition to the overall meal. I served the chicken with mashed potatoes and corn to round out the meal. I think the balsamic chicken is great, but the sauce itself might be great with a piece of pork as well if you wanted to give that a try. I forgot to take a picture of this one when I made it, so unfortunately I don’t have one to show, but trust me the glaze comes out perfectly and the chicken tastes great!

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!