Fig Balsamic


Today's taping of Home At Last! showcased one of Ron's favorite chicken dishes. Mediterranean Chicken with Grapes, or Chicken Veronique as it is sometimes called. Preferring red grapes to green, and globe reds to seedless red-I have really made it my own with the addition of fig balsamic.

I shared my easy homemade Fig Balsamic recipe, 3 cups of 15-year old Balsamic vinegar and 1 cup canned figs. I cooked figs over the summer, added a scant 1/4 cup of sugar, before processing the jars in boiling water for about 1o minutes. They were so perfect for the recipe and made an excellent fig balsamic. The mixture reduced on a low heat for about thirty minutes, creating a rich, almost-syrup like balsamic.

Making chicken stock from leftover trimmings of skinless chicken is another easy way to recycle in the kitchen. I made a bouquet garni bag of herbs. . .bay leaf, sage, and celery leaf. Into a large pot of water, I added chunks of chicken breast, carrot and celery chunks, fresh garlic and shallot. A week's worth of stock ready in under a half hour and for pennies.

After the show, I cut up another thick chicken breast and cooked it in the strained figs cooked in the balsamic, the carrots, shallot, celery and garlic cooked in the chicken stock. I added a 1/2 cup of the stock,, 2 tbsp of applewood-smoked bacon, cured locally and finally a tablespoon of butter. The chicken to cook until tender and the sauce reduced for a new favorite that absolutely recycled every bit of food used to make the show.


The only thing that went back into the refrigerator was about a quart of strained chicken stock. Not bad!
Chicken With Canned FigsPosted by Picasa

Comments

Oh, my goodness that sounds so delicious! The balsamic vinegar with figs is making my mouth water and I too prefer the red globe grapes over all the others even if I do have to spit out the seeds!Ha!
Yo soy SOI said…
Patty - this looks incredible - as all of your recipes always do and ARE! I think I sent you my email that my blog is finally up and running. Love to have you follow me too. Let's get together sometime!

Popular posts from this blog

Jacque Pepin's Chicken Liver Pate

Artist-Walter Anderson

Vernon Kilns Honolulu By Don Blanding