BC Blueberries Celebrates BC Chicken Month

BC Blueberries Celebrates BC Chicken Month

September is BC Chicken Month and BC Blueberries join in with a crowd-pleasing recipe

 

All September long, foodies can visit bcchickenmonth.com for recipe inspiration during BC Chicken Month.

This month-long campaign recognizes BC’s chicken farmers and asks British Columbians to include fresh chicken (either at the grocery store or while dining out), throughout September. The BC Chicken Month website houses recipes, videos, farming facts, a cook-along, and the opportunity to enter an exciting contest.

BC Blueberries has partnered with BC Chicken to provide chicken and blueberry-lovers across the province with a delicious BC Blueberry Glazed Chicken Thigh recipe. Using fresh or frozen BC Blueberries, try out this recipe and others available on bcchickenmonth.com.

Spread the word on social media by using #BCChickenMonth and #BCBlueberries, and tag @bcchickensquad and @bcblueberries when sharing your creations!

 

BC Blueberry Glazed Chicken Thighs – Courtesy of BC Chicken Month at bcchickenmonth.com

Serves 4

Total Time:  1 hr

Prep Time:  20 minutes

Cook Time:  40 minutes

 

Take a look at the recipe video below:

 

Ingredients:

8 chicken thighs bone in skin on

Salt and pepper for seasoning

2 cloves of garlic

1 bunch of thyme

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp canola oil

 

Hash:

2 sweet potatoes

8 leaves of kale thinly sliced

8 slices bacon

2 green onions finely sliced

2 Tbsp butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Blueberry Glaze:

2 cups BC blueberries, fresh or frozen

½ small white onion chopped

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tbsp chopped rosemary

1 tbsp chopped thyme

½ cup beef stock

 

How To Make It:

1. Preheat oven to 475°F.
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
3. Heat oil in a 12" cast-iron or heavy non-stick skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking. Place chicken in skillet, skin side down, and cook 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-high; continue cooking skin side down, occasionally rearranging chicken thighs to evenly distribute heat, until fat renders and skin is golden brown, about 10 minutes.
4. While chicken is browning, begin preparing the blueberry glaze. Cook onions in 1 tbsp olive oil, for 5 minutes or until soft and translucent. Add 1 cup blueberries and cook for another minute until juices release and they are softened. Deglaze pan with beef stock and reduce by half, then add balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, thyme and rosemary. Reduce for 10 minutes on low heat. Pour sauce in blender and blend. Strain the sauce back into the pan discarding any solids. Throw in the rest of the blueberries and cook for another 5 minutes over medium heat until softened and juices are released.
5. Transfer skillet with chicken to oven and cook 10 more minutes. Flip chicken; continue cooking until skin crisps and meat is cooked through, about 5 minutes longer. Put pan back on medium heat throw in thyme, garlic, and butter, baste chicken for another 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate; let rest 5 minutes before serving.
6. While chicken is in the oven preheat a medium sauce pot over medium high heat. Heat 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add in the finely diced sweet potatoes, finely sliced bacon, and season very generously with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Cook mixture, stirring occasionally, until sweet potatoes are cooked through and tender, about 15-18 minutes. Add kale into the skillet approximately during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Throw in butter and scallions. Taste the hash and season with additional salt or pepper if needed.
7. To plate, place a portion of hash on bottom of plate, top with two golden brown chicken thighs, then drizzle blueberry reduction over top.  Pair with a glass of Orofino Gamay.