Rosemary Honey Balsamic Roasted Chicken

04 September 2015

(Serves 6-8)

This past week our local store finally put chicken thighs on sale so I got slightly overzealous and purchased a teensy bit more than necessary. Hence, I am now stuck thinking of different ways to make this chicken without it becoming monotonous on our palate. But hey, this is a welcomed challenge on my part as it will help me with more posts here on the blog right?

So I was looking through my spice drawer the other day and noticed a bottle of crushed rosemary in the very back, which meant I haven’t touched it in ages! I have no idea why that may be the case considering I love rosemary, especially when I am using it in an oven recipe. It makes the house smell divine! Oh right, I also use fresh rosemary… Anyhow, this just means I will be incorporating rosemary into my chicken this time around.

I wanted to keep this recipe simple and quick and am pleasantly surprised of the depth of flavor the marinade produced. To be honest, I didn’t think I could go wrong with a rosemary, honey and balsamic combination. The balsamic vinegar and honey gave the outside of this chicken thighs a lovely coat of golden brown. The contrast between the sweetness of the honey and the sour of the balsamic vinegar married well with the rosemary. That plus the juices released from the chicken itself made the sauce irresistible. I wouldn’t have mind having extra sauce and just tossing it with some pasta and call it a meal!

Personally, I don’t think I would mind making this dish a part of a regular rotation at the Fobes’ residence. The chicken was incredibly moist and tender, the sauce is well balanced and fast and easy to make! I could just get this meal marinating over the weekend when I have some extra help with Evie and just pop it in the oven an hour before dinner time during the week! We can just throw together a nice fruity salad or some roasted veggies and a side of buttered pasta and that’s dinner!

1/2 tbsp kosher salt	1. Mix the marinade well.
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp rosemary, dried and crushed
1 tbsp light brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
3 lbs chicken thighs, bone-in skin-on (7-8 pieces) or your choice of cut	2. Place the chicken into a gallon ziplock bag or container and pour in the marinade. 3. Coat and massage the marinade into the chicken pieces and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 72 hours in the refrigerator. 4. Preheat the over to 375F while laying the chicken pieces in a single layer in a casserole pan 5. Pour all the remaining marinade on top of the chicken. 6. Place the pan in oven and cook for about 50-60 minutes, basting the chicken with the marinade every 10-15 minutes. (This will give the chicken a nice even color and flavorful coat.) 7. Remove the chicken when done (internal temperature of 165F) onto a plate and pour the remaining marinade into a saucepan. 8. On high heat, bring the marinade to a boil.
1 1/2 tbsp butter, unsalted	9. With a spoon or fork, incorporate the flour into the butter. 10. Stir the butter-flour mix into the saucepan, mixing continuously to create a smooth sauce. (About 6-8 minutes.) 11. Adjust to taste then spread it onto a plate and top with a piece of chicken. 12. Serve immediately.
2 tsp flour, all-purpose