Blueberry Balsamic Sauce over Chicken

Since I have been enrolled in cooking classes, I have become obsessed with sauces. I have always felt a lot of food was "dry" and wanted to add some taste to it. Sauces do just that; they turn the boring and the mundane into lush & beautiful. Where a gravy or a hollandaise sauce, they can add much to a dish.

Rachel had ordered a large box of frozen blueberries. They have taken up our freezer. Wanting to make a dish incorporating blueberries, I began to do some research. Balsamic vinegar makes a great dish even better. It also makes a fabulous reduction when boiled.

I did some research, checked out recipes, and incorporated knowledge from my class. It was a delicious sauce which I served over chicken and rice. Note: when making a balsamic reduction, please give others in your home fair warning so they can leave the premises. It is like throwing a can of tear gas in your home. On the plus side, if you need your sinuses cleared, this will work very effectively.

Blueberry Balsamic Sauce

1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon tarragon (dried)
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
1/2 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup flour

1. In a pot, bring blueberries and chicken stock to a boil.

2. While stock in reducing, saute shallot, garlic and peppercorns until shallot is translucent.

3. Stir in balsamic vinegar and tarragon to shallot mixture and boil until vinegar is reduced to 1/2 cup; about 10 minutes.

4. In a separate saucepan, cook butter and flour until it forms a light blond roux.

5. Blend the vinegar reduction and the blueberry / stock mixture in a blender. Be careful, it's hot.

6. Strain the sauce and return to the pan.

7. Add the roux to the sauce; stir and simmer until sauce reaches a syrupy texture.

8 Serve over chicken and rice. Enjoy.

I hope that you enjoy this dish. I sure did.

Happy Eating.