Cooking is something which I enjoy immensely. I often make meals which require many hours of preparation and execution, but sometimes I just want to make a dinner that is easy to put together and delicious. This dish is one of those meals. Chicken is enjoyed by most and is easy to find in all forms. You can make this dish with leg and thigh quarters which will remain perfectly moist or you can opt to make it with a whole chicken, cut into pieces. I would not recommend boneless breast pieces in this preparation as they will be too dry. All that is required of you is to make the marinade, add some fresh herbs, roast a few vegetables alongside and voila… a delicious dinner is made in just under an hour in one pan.

If you prefer to make the dish without the root vegetables, you can serve it with white rice. As there is no stirring or basting required; you can use the time while the chicken is in the oven to either make a nice green salad or just relax have a glass of wine and listen to a great playlist while you wait.

When this one dish meal is complete, the outcome is a lovely deep amber colored glazed chicken dish. The flavors are just slightly sweet from the balsamic as it cooks down and the garlic, rosemary and thyme add notes of freshness and delight. This for me is a great meal weekend meal when you are savoring your time and not working at the pace of a regular work day. It’s easy to double the recipe if you need more than 4 servings. Leftovers are always good for another day. I am sure that it will be a keeper to your repertoire of delicious recipes.

Vive le weekend !

Roasted Balsamic Rosemary Chicken

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 whole chicken (3 lbs) cut into pieces or 4 leg and thigh chicken quarters

6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

4 garlic cloves, minced

6 sprigs of rosemary

6 sprigs of thyme

6 tablespoons olive oil

11/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1 medium onion, sliced

1 teaspoon all-purpose seasoning

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons of Madeira or Port *optional but a great addition if you have on hand

Accompaniments

1 ½ lb small potatoes parboiled for 10 minutes

½ lb mushrooms, halved

2-3 carrots, sliced* optional

Method

In a large bowl, place parboiled potatoes, mushrooms, carrots (if using) and onions.

Add 3 tablespoons olive oil, 3 tablespoons balsamic, 1 tsp salt and a few grinds of black pepper as well as, 3 sprigs each of the rosemary and thyme.

In another bowl, place the chicken pieces. Add ½ tsp salt, freshly ground black pepper, crushed garlic and 1 teaspoon all purpose seasoning, mix together well.

In a small bowl place 3 tablespoons olive oil, 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, Port and Dijon mustard. Mix together well and pour over the chicken pieces. Add the thyme and rosemary. If you can, allow to marinate for about 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Line a large baking sheet (9×14″) with aluminum foil. Rub a bit of oil onto the base of the foil.

Spread the vegetables on the baking sheet.

Add the chicken pieces alongside the vegetables and ensure that the thyme and rosemary are well distributed and not all conglomerated in one spot.

Pour any remaining marinade over the chicken. Do not waste anything!

Roast the chicken in the preheated oven for 45 minutes to an hour or until cooked thoroughly. To test that the chicken is completely cooked, a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh should measure 165 degrees. You can also test by inserting a skewer into the thickest part of a thigh. Juices released should be clear and not bloody or pink.

Serve on a large platter and pour all of the pan juices over the chicken.

Note: I parboil my potatoes as I have had instances when the chicken had cooked completely but the potatoes were not tender. To avoid this, I prefer to parboil the potatoes before baking them.

If you double the recipe please use an additional baking sheet. Do not overcrowd the pan or the chicken will not cook evenly.