Blackberry Bacon Chicken

As an homage to my childhood and the time I climbed atop a bike leaned against a vicious blackberry bush to reach the “biggest berries ever,” falling in where my butt-length hair tangled in the spider-infested prickers and trapped me for two hours, I give you my favorite late summer recipe. 

I adapted this dish from an earlier, time-consuming-but-delicious recipe, Chicken with Grilled Peaches. The peaches were lovely, but honestly, a pain in the butt to cut, season, grill, unstick from the grill, and then only use the pretty ones. Having said that, this recipe adapts to lots of different fruit—mixed berries, plums, apricots, and even ungrilled peaches. Here in Washington state, we have the luxury of wild blackberries everywhere. EVERYWHERE. You’ll never find blackberries in the store like the bloated, juicy, too-soft-to-transport beauties growing on the deathly vines sprawled in vacant parking lots, unattended back yards, and lining every road from August to September.

Usually, I give exacting details on amounts, which I find comforting and necessary to be successful with most recipes, but this one is different. You can adjust for how many you’re feeding, and leftovers are great tossed with a few greens for a next day salad. It’s a great “refrigerator” recipe, using up whatever you have on hand. You could even use pork, tofu, or salmon instead of chicken…just no spiders, please and thanks.

Blackberry Bacon Chicken Serves 4 Preptime – Quick!

• 4 Chicken breasts or 4 hindquarters on the bone (or 2 pounds pork or salmon)
• Seasonings – Optional – Thyme, rosemary, oregano, garlic powder, pepper
• 1 Tbl Sea salt
• 2 Tbl Olive Oil
• 1 lb Blackberries (wild and freshly picked, if possible)
• 8 pc Bacon
• 1 Btl Balsamic glaze (store bought is easiest or feel free to make your own)
• 2 Tbl Parsley, chopped (optional for color and health)

Directions

• Place bacon flat on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake on 400F until crispy. Times with vary depending on thickness, but it’s bacon, it’s all good.
• Once finished removed from fat onto a paper towel lined plate and set aside.
• Season chicken with whatever seasonings you chose plus salt and oil.
• You can pan sauté, bake, or grill the chicken until done. Please don’t overcook! Chicken breasts cook through in about 10 minutes in a 425F oven. Leg quarters in about 15 minutes.
• Let cooked chicken rest about 15 minutes before serving. Either serve whole on a platter or plated. Top chicken with blackberries, crumbled bacon (literally just crumble over the top with your hand), and drizzle with balsamic glaze.
• Garnish with chopped parsley
• Dish up trying to score as much bacon and blackberries for yourself (or guest of honor if you’re nice).