French-Style Herb-Balsamic Roast Chicken

A simple tray of roast chicken is elevated with the flavors of Provence–just a touch sweet and full of brightness from mint and herbs. 

On my previous post I shared the Matcha Madeleines that I brought to the blogger cookie swap a week ago. As an afterthought I made a batch of my Mushroom Pâté which seemed to be a hit with my friends. The pâté has been on repeat around here and it was a huge thrill that it garnered a thumbs up from some of the best cooks I know.

For lunch my contribution was this platter of roast chicken and if you’ve been visiting L+A for a while you might remember these French-Style Spareribs from the archives. Well, this is essentially the same recipe using chicken instead of pork ribs and after sampling the test batch I prepared beforehand, I felt silly for never using the herb-balsamic mixture on other meats besides ribs. The spareribs recipe is well-loved, thanks to a dear friend and her husband who have made the recipe one of their party go-tos over the years. 

This chicken version gets extra points for the shorter bake time so this can be whipped together in well under an hour. 

The herb-balsamic mixture is the key to elevating basic chicken thighs (or breasts or legs–whatever parts you prefer) from ordinary to company-worthy. Herbs-de-Provence, fresh mint, sugar, balsamic vinegar and olive oil are combined for a slightly sweet, herby, bright flavoring agent. 

Personally, I like to go heavy on the mint because it adds so much–and to give it a chance to make an impression on others, for this recipe I applied the herb-balsamic mixture twice during the cooking time rather than just at the end. I also prepared a second batch with less-sugar to drizzle on top before serving.  

For a merry and bright presentation I served the chicken thighs on a bed of mixed greens tossed in a simple rosé vinaigrette and garnished with persimmons, blackberries and pomegranate seeds but they would be just as inviting paired with roasted vegetables and/or mashed potatoes. 

Lastly, when your fellow food blogger friends get you, it’s a beautiful thing. Liren at Kitchen Confidante was our host for this year’s lunch. When I mentioned that I was planning to share this recipe here she stopped what she was doing, pulled out her props, arranged them on her board and bam!–instant photo session…and quite fortuitous, too. I had saved a few thighs at home intending to photograph them later for this post and wouldn’t you know it, my I-only-eat-chicken-breasts husband apparently made a rare exception for this recipe. It’s the magic of the mint, I’m convinced.  

Note: For the salad in the pictures I used a store-bought rosé-wine vinegar whisked in olive oil and herbs-de-provence. You can use white balsamic vinegar as a decent substitute or, if you have an open bottle of rosé, mix two-to-one parts oil and wine and add dijon mustard, lemon or white balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper according to your taste.