Balsamic Roast Chicken with Onions, Olives, and Tomatoes

While flipping through the last issue of Style at Home I found a delicious chicken recipe. The picture was enticing and it just sounded divine. While I had made something similar (last winter maybe?) this one was different as it called for the addition of balsamic vinegar and pearl onions. My mom was here at the time and so I could share the olives with her and The Honey enjoyed the pronounced flavours (for a change).

A change that I always make is to use the chicken pieces that I like. We’re partial to chicken breasts or thighs and so instead of cutting apart a whole chicken, I’ll buy the pieces we prefer. A tip I learnt from Laura Calder (on French Food at Home) to make bacon really easy to slice is to pop it into the freezer for a bit. It firms up the bacon and is so much easier to slice. This is a delicious chicken dish that is relatively easy; once the chicken is seared everything is mixed in and put into the oven to cook away.

Balsamic Roast Chicken with Onions, Olives, and Tomatoes (Style at Home March 2012)

3 lbs of chicken, but into manageable pieces (ie, breasts, thighs, legs, etc)

1 tsp sea salt

½ tsp pepper

2 tbs olive oil

4 oz of sliced bacon, cut into cubes

1 cup pearl onions, peeled and halved

1 tbs each chopped rosemary and thyme

2 tbs balsamic vinegar

½ cup white wine

½ cup small green olives

½ pint grape tomatoes

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil over high heat in a dutch oven and sear the chicken until browned all over. Remove chicken from the pan and reduce heat to medium and add the bacon and onions and cook until the onions are caramelized. Drain the oil from the pan, leaving 1 tbs, and return chicken to the pan. Add the herbs, vinegar and wine and bring to a boil. Add the olives and tomatoes and bake covered, for 45 mins (or until chicken is cooked through) at 350°.