Ahh… Sunday Chicken dinner!  This may not be your Grandmother’s chicken but you are going to love it.  Balsamic is a favorite in my kitchen.  It imparts such wonderful flavor to meats, salads and more.  This balsamic baked chicken is so simple with minimal basting.  If you can find it, an organic chicken elevates the dish to something just this side of heaven.  Organic chicken is juicy and succulent in a way you have forgotten chicken can taste.  Plus, the bones can be boiled down to make an incredible soup base.  Not to mention the health benefits of eating antibiotic and hormone free chickens.  This recipe also works well with turkey or Cornish game hen.

Here is the super easy dish.

INGREDIENTS:
1 Whole Chicken
1/2 Cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 Cup of Quality Balsamic Vinegar
4 Garlic Cloves, Minced
1 Tablespoon of Fresh Basil
1 Tablespoon of Thyme
1 Tablespoon of Parsley
1/2 Tablespoon of Kosher or Coarse Sea Salt
6+ Cracks of Coarse, Fresh Cracked Pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat your oven to 350.  Whisk the garlic, salt, pepper, oil and vinegar together.  Baste the chicken liberally inside and out.  Place the herbs in the cavity.  Salt and pepper the breast.

Bake in a 350 degree over for about 20 minutes per pound basting halfway through.  The balsamic will give the chicken a glorious, golden color.   The final cooked temperature of chicken in the breast should be 160 degrees.  To avoid overcooking, pull the chicken early at 160 in the thigh. It will continue to cook and arrive at the appropriate temperature.

Serve with Risotto or wild rice