Balsamic-Braised Chicken with Swiss Chard

By Skinnygirl85

Ingredients

• 1 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, minced
• 5 tsp. minced fresh thyme or 1 1/2 tsp. dried
• 1 TBSP tomato paste
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 anchovy fillet, rinsed and minced (I used 1 1/2 tsp. anchovy paste)
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 3 TBSP all-purpose flour
• 1/2 c. balsamic vinegar
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 c. low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 c. dry red wine
• 2 bay leaves
• 12 (6 oz.) bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed, trimmed (I used 8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts)
• 6 oz. Swiss chard, stems removed and leaves sliced 1/2 in. thick

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from kelseysappleaday.blogspot.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Heat oil in 12-in. skillet (or super sweet slow cooker!) over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion, thyme, tomato paste, garlic, anchovy, and red pepper flakes and cook until onion is softened and slightly brown, 8-10 minutes. Stir in flour and cook 1 minute more.

2. Slowly whisk in vinegar, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out any lumps. Cook until slightly reduced, about 3 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker.

3. Stir tomatoes, broth, wine, and bay leaves into slow cooker.

5. Gently stir in chard, cover, and cook on high until tender, 20-30 minutes.

YUM, this looks great and oh so delicious! I actually have anchovy paste in the pantry and have been needing a recipe to use it up. This sounds like a great addition to my menu next week!

I did the stovetop method and Oh my...this is delish! But 1/2cup Balsamic was a little too sweet for me. Couldn't find a reasonable way to balance that out; but if I make it a next time I will 1/4 or 1/3 a cup.

6. Transfer chicken to platter and tent loosely with foil. Let braising liquid settle 5 minutes, then skim fat from surface using large spoon. Discard bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with sauce spooned over each chicken piece. Serves 6-8. (I served it with basic polenta as recommended in the cookbook.)

Update: I was able to balance out the strong acidity of the balsamic vinegar by adding a little cream. I heated via stovetop bring the dish to a simmer. This recipe is now a definite keep for me.