Since I’m on the subject of balsamic vinegar, I may as well include a mini history as well – it begins with the Vita Mathildis, a poem written by Donizo, the monk,  around 1000 AD. It tells of a small silver flask containing a vinegar so precious that it was given by Boniface as gift to Henry III, then emperor of Germany. Boniface, Mathilda father, had made the vinegar at the Canossa fortress in what would become known as traditional balsamic vinegar. Nobody really knows the actual date or how it was made at that stage but assume that some grape must was

forgotten in a barrel somewhere for quite a long period of time and when it was re-discovered, had turned into the glorious, precious liquid that is so prized today. Over time the liquid had undergone a simple process of natural acetification (when something turns into vinegar or acetic acid) and had become quite thick with a sweet and sour flavour. At first the vinegar was made only by the noble families like the Giusti family (Francesco Maria Giusti springs to mind) and over time, in northern Italy, an industry was born that would turn into the massive one we know today.

BALSAMIC ROASTED CHICKEN

Ingredients

• 1 x 2 kg chicken, cut into pieces (obviously you can buy chicken pieces or cut it in half)
• 250 ml homemade chicken stock
• 200 ml condiment grade balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp freshly grated lemon juice
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley leaves
• 1 tsp rosemary leaves – removed from the stem
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed into a paste
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

• Combine the garlic paste with the balsamic vinegar and then add the zest, the mustard, the lemon juice, the olive oil, the salt and pepper to taste and whisk everything together.
• Place the mixture in a large Ziploc bag and pop the chicken (or chicken pieces) in, making sure you’ve removed all the air, seal and place in the fridge overnight – see to it that the entire chicken comes into contact with the balsamic marinade.
• The next day, preheat the oven to 200 C.
• Remove chicken from the bag, scatter the rosemary over the top and place it (or the chicken pieces) on a large greased roasting tray to roast until the chicken is cooked – about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• If it becomes too brown, cover the chicken with foil and continue the cooking process and when cooked, transfer onto a serving platter.
• Add the chicken stock to the cooking juices, scraping up all the sticky bits and then mix into the chicken stock – drizzle over the chicken and serve with baked potatoes and a green salad.