Strawberry Balsamic Chicken

This is a wonderful springtime dish but Perhaps I should not have used a red tablecloth as the background for this photograph.  But it is done and the chicken is consumed, so it is too late now.  This chicken is so yummy, I will just have to make it again, and post new photos.  In fact, if you want to send me photos of the food you prepare from my blog, I would love to see them.  Send the photos to BasilandRosemarysKitchen@gmail.com. I will repost them if I can get this silly computer to do it. (see Nancy's and Karen's lemon cake.)

My older sister uses all types of unusual ingredients baste chicken and this recipe grew from her experimentation.   You can leave the chicken whole, if you would rather.  I try to cut up chickens when I grocery shop.  It speeds up the cooking.  Sometimes I leave the bones in and sometimes I remove the bones.  The recipes that I am planning determine way I cut up the chicken.  For this recipe, you will need skin on and bones in.  There are two reasons for this.  The first is because of the compound butter that is placed between the meat and skin.  The second is because the bones slow the cooking processes a bit and it allows more basting of the Yummy strawberry and balsamic vinaigrette to stick. The skin of the chicken will take on a pink color due to the strawberries so make sure that the meat is thoroughly cooked before serving.  The internal temperature need to be, at least, 185degrees.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

6 bone-in, skin on chicken breasts.  I cut the chicken breast halves into quarters.

1 stick or 1/2 cup of softened  Butter

2 Tablespoons each of  fresh Basil, Rosemary, and Lavender, sage can be substituted, I just happen to have lavender

2 cloves of garlic, finely minced

1 teaspoon each of Salt and Pepper

1 cup of fresh Strawberries

1/4 cup Newman's Balsamic Vinaigrette

Wash and dry chicken.  Remember to sanitize the entire area and your hands after doing this. Place the chicken in a greased  ovenproof baking pan. 

Combine butter, herbs, garlic salt and pepper with a fork.  Very carefully push the butter between the skin and meat, trying not to separate the skin from the meat.

In a blender, puree strawberries with balsamic vinaigrette.  Pour in 1/4 cup into a bowl for sauce.  Pour a little over the chicken and place in the preheated oven.  Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until chicken is thoroughly cooked; liberally  basting with the the strawberry vinaigrette about every 15 minutes.

Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Deloris