Balsamic Chicken Crunch
I got to the end of the week with some stuff in the fridge and pantry. It seemed like just stuff, before it turn into this dynamic dish. Crispy potatoes, fluffy on the inside, crunchy on the outside, crunchy blanched broad beans, sweet caramelized onions, tangy balsamic chicken, cheddar, crispy chicken skin and bad-ass condiments. This is the way we do it.
Ingredients (for 4)
1.5kg New Potatoes
A big bunch of Broad Beans
3 Red Onions, finely sliced
Half a Roast Chicken, shredded into small bits
2 Teaspoons Fresh Oregano
2 Teaspoons Dried Marjoram
White Wine Vinegar
5 Cloves of Garlic, peeled and minced
Chicken Skin, cut into slivers
Balsamic Vinegar
Cheddar Cheese
Condiments (Sauerkraut, Gherkins, Tomato/Cholula Hot Sauce, mixed)
Duck/Goose Fat
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 240 C.
Boil the potatoes until cooked through. Drain the potatoes and then crush while hot. I use a paper towel folded up a couple of times to protect my hand. Warm a roasting tray in the oven and then melt two tablespoons of goose fat. Spread it all around. Rub each side of each the squashed potato in the goose fat, then arrange in the pan for roasting.
Whack the roasting pan in the oven and blast it while you do the next things.
Coat a frying pan with a lug of olive oil. Turn it to medium heat then saute the onions, oregano, marjoram and a tablespoon of white wine vinegar. Saute and until soft. Keep cooking until the onions are deliciously caramelized. Set aside for the final stages.
Blanch the broad beans for 2-3 minutes. Set aside.
In a frying pan, pour a generous lug of olive oil and turn it to a medium-high heat. Put the chicken in, fry. Once we get sizzling, pour in a huge nudge of balsamic. We're talking a quarter cup. Cook the balsamic into the chicken until it's sticky. Turn off the heat.
Take the potatoes out of the oven. They should be plenty crispy by this point. If not, cook a bit longer and get it crunchy. Arrange the potatoes into even serving groups. Lay over the beans. Dress with the onions on top of the potatoes, then the chicken. Load it up with some cheese.
Lower the heat in the oven to 200 C then put it back in.
Wipe down the pan, then pour in more olive oil. Fry up the chicken skin until crispy. Delicious.
Once the cheese has melted, pull it out of the oven. Sprinkle with the crispy chicken skin pieces.
Sea salt flakes, pepper, more vinegar if you're keen. Go hard with the condiments, get creative!
Enjoy!
