Herb-Stuffed Chicken Thighs with Balsamic Jus

Herb-Stuffed Chicken Thighs with Balsamic Jus

While I was looking at The Flavor Bible one day, I noted that balsamic vinegar and chicken complemented each other and I had seen many dishes that featured these two ingredients recently so I decided to test the flavor pair myself.

The Source

I adapted this dish from Food & Wine.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 thyme sprigs
1 cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
1 bay leaf
6 black peppercorns, crushed
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh tarragon, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
Ksher salt and freshly ground pepper

Method

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and thyme sprigs and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and browned, about 10 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the wine and boil over medium-high heat until the liquid is almost evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock, bay leaf and peppercorns and boil until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 30 minutes.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine the balsamic vinegar with the shallots and the remaining 1/2 cup of white wine and boil over moderately high heat until the liquid is reduced to 1/4 cup, about 8 minutes. Add the reduced chicken stock and cook for 2 minutes. Strain the sauce into a small saucepan.

3. In a bowl, combine the butter with the thyme, tarragon, parsley and garlic. Gently spread the mixture under the chicken skin. Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate until the butter is firm, about 1 hour.

4. Preheat the oven to 450° Fahrenheit. Lightly oil a oven-safe skillet. Add the chicken, skin side down, and cook over medium-high heat until browned, about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken skin side up and roast in the oven until cooked through, about 20 minutes, then transfer the chicken to a warm platter.

5. Pour the juices from the roasting pan into the balsamic jus. Reheat the balsamic jus, then pour into a sauceboat and serve with the chicken.

Successful?

The chicken stock took some of the bite out of the taste of the vinegar but the flavors do pair well.