Balsamic Glazed Chicken Thighs

I love Balsamic Vinegar and this is a go-to recipe anytime of the year.  Sometimes I use it on steak just before it goes on the grill.  It’s sweet-tart flavour helps to tenderize any meat and makes a light little sauce.  Used by many chefs worldwide, there is always a discussion on its use.  Once again, it depends on what part of Italy you visit.  Ask many chefs from Modena, where the vinegar originates and they would not marinade with it.  I like it and ask you to judge for yourself. My Balsamic Glazed Chicken Thighs deserve the best vinegar.

I do agree that less is more and some recipes call for up to one cup of balsamic.  Using 1/4 cup of this vinegar goes a long way. It will add depth to the dish without being invasive.  Balsamic Glazed Chicken Thighs makes a delicate and elegant dish for your family or entertaining.  Easy to make, the vinegar does all the work for you.

Sometimes I feel guilty cooking with chicken thighs, but they are just as nutritious.  A chicken thigh has 13. 5 grams of protein, while breast meat has 54 grams of protein.  https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/protein-in-chicken

First salt and pepper the chicken thighs and leave the skin on for extra flavour.

A few ingredients make a good marinade.

Put the chicken in a bag and pour in the marinade.

Give it a good massage; remember that less is better and use good ingredients.

My side dish is broccoli and this is the bread topping.

I steam the broccoli, grease the dish and spread on the topping.

Before pan searing the thighs ensure that you pat them dry.

Look at the colour from the vinegar.

Brown the onions and garlic in the pan before adding the wine and the chicken stock.

I place the thighs in a large pan for the oven.

You know how I love to peek into the oven.

After 45 minutes, remove the thighs and reduce the sauce.

All plated: I also made homemade fries.

 

White Wine Chicken Scallopini

White Wine Chicken Scallopini is one of my favourite dishes.  The coating has a mixture of flour, polenta (corn flour) and bread crumbs making it crispy all over.  I pour wine into the bottom of this dish, it steams it slowly in the delicate flavour of the white grapes.  Any meat breaded and slowly cooked in white wine is delicious.

This dish is different than nonna Emilia.  She used marinara sauce in her layers and no wine.  I did take her idea of the parmesan cheese between the layers.  This adds a little nutty flavour to the dish.  Of course, I like to brighten it up in the true Sicilian way by spritzing lemon juice on it at the end with some fresh lemon zest. My white wine chicken scallopini has a delicate flavour.

A scallopini dish consists of any meat thinly sliced and dipped in flour and then sauteed.  In traditional dishes, it comes to the table with some lemon and parsley.  I like to add the red and yellow bell peppers for colour.  Sometimes, I add mushrooms.

My other favourite chicken recipe is https://recipesatmytable.com/sweet-and-spicy-chicken-breasts/

I assemble the chicken and bread crumbs.  Plastic wrap helps when I pound and tenderize the chicken breast.  

The cutlets before I fry them in some canola oil.

Fried and golden brown.

Step One

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Step Two

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The Assembly

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So good when it comes out of the oven. 

 

 

Citrus Chicken with Brussels Sprouts

One thing nonna Emilia taught me was to look in the refrigerator to plan your next meal. Last night I took out a whole chicken.  I have a lot of lemons and oranges which are like candy in a pan.  Citrus Chicken with Brussels Sprouts will roast covered and then uncovered over a bead of oranges and lemons.  Of course, there will be wine both in the recipe and on the table.

Citrus adds flavour to baking and savoury dishes, but there are some rules : https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/common-mistakes/article/citrus-common-mistakes

In this recipe the oranges and lemons at the bottom of the pan caramelize and may be eaten.  They enhance the flavours of the brussels sprouts.  The citrus keeps the chicken tender and this is a meal all in one dish.  If you like this idea you will also like my : https://recipesatmytable.com/sicilian-moroccan-roast-chicken/

The brightness of oranges and lemons makes this dish special.

Slice the orange and lemons evenly.

After arranging the citrus in the pan to form a small bed, add the onions.

Butterfly the chicken so that it cooks evenly.  Add salt, Pepper and Italian spices.

After one hour at 325 F it makes a little broth.

Add the frozen brussels sprouts and jam.  Mix with the juices and return to the oven uncovered for another 30 minutes at 375 F.

Now it emerges golden brown, sweet and sour.  Love this dish!!  Let it rest for 15 minutes.

A complete meal plated.

 

Italian Flavoured Yogurt Chicken

Yogurt is a healthy alternative in the kitchen. When used in marinades it adds moisture and is a good way to tenderize the meat.  Italian Flavoured Yogurt Chicken adds tomato paste to the yogurt to give it colour. The Italian seasoning adds a little punch of flavour and heat.

We eat chicken at least 3 times a week and I am always looking to add flavour and develop new recipes.  This one came about by accident; I had a recipe that called for buttermilk.  Having run out of buttermilk, I remember reading somewhere that you can make buttermilk from yogurt.  I used yogurt as a substitute and it worked better.

To make buttermilk from yogurt use 3/4 cup yogurt and 1/4 cup milk.  I omitted the milk in this recipe and was happy with the results.

To complement this dish, I make a little Italian salad, and we have many versions of these.  It’s really easy to get creative with your salads.  Try anything that you like and add your favourite dressing.  I like to mix it up; salads don’t need to bore you at the table.  They can be quite complex and the texture should vary.  Simple homemade dressings are the best.

Everything looks happy in the dish.

All mixed up and it smells good and tangy.

Make sure to totally coat the chicken.

Take the chicken out of the sauce and place on a hot grill.

I want nice grill marks on the chicken before placing it in the oven.

The sauce and searing help keep the juices intact and these chicken pieces will be moist and succulent.

Peeking in the oven.

Out of the oven and ready for plating.

I serve this with a quick little Italian side of salad.

The dressing perks up all the vegetables.