Have you ever wondered about the price markup at restaurants? On average, food costs the restaurant only 35% of what you pay. But try to make a restaurant dish at home, and you’ll find that you have to buy so many weird ingredients that it ends up costing more money, and taking way more effort to make it yourself. This dish is a serious exception.
Now, I’m sure that many professional chefs would turn their nose up in scorn at me for saying this, but I don’t believe that you need to be a hugely ambitious cook to enjoy an elegant dinner every once in a while. And I certainly don’t believe you have to break the bank for it.
Take this dinner. At under $1.50 per person for the main event, you can probably afford to splurge a bit on a side dish or two. I sauteed up a bunch of spinach with nothing but olive oil, garlic, and a pinch of salt, bringing the total to a whopping $2.50 per plate. It takes all of 20 minutes to put together, and dirties only one pot and one skillet. And the leftovers are absolutely delicious cold.
Serves 4. Total cost: $5.85 ($1.46 per person). Price breakdown is approximate.
What to do:
- 3/4 c balsamic vinegar (the cheapest you can find works perfectly) [$1.00]
- 1 tbsp tomato paste [$0.10]
- 2 tbsp brown sugar [$0.10]
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (or 3/4 tsp garlic powder) [$0.10]
- Dash Worcestershire sauce [$0.05]
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of any excess fat [$4.50]
- salt and pepper [N/A]
What you need:
- Combine vinegar, tomato paste, sugar, garlic, and Worcestershire in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil on medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
- Turn heat down to low and simmer for 5-10 minutes to reduce the sauce slightly. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
- In a grill pan or nonstick skillet, heat 1 tbsp oil on medium-high heat. Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Add chicken to the pan and cook on both sides until cooked through.
- Spoon sauce over the chicken and serve.
Tags: chicken
