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1
Coat a large roasting pan with olive oil and bring to a high heat.
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2
Season the brisket generously with salt.
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3
Add the brisket to the pan and brown well on both sides.
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4
Remove the brisket from the pan and reserve.
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5
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
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6
Lower the heat to medium, ditch the excess oil, and add the bacon and reserved skin to the pan with a little more oil.
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7
Cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crispy and has let out a lot of fat.
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8
Add the onions and celery.
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9
Season with salt and cook until they are very soft and aromatic, 7 to 8 minutes.
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10
Add the garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.
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11
Toss in the mushrooms and cook until they are soft and wilted.
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12
Add the balsamic vinegar and reduce it by half.
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13
Taste it - it will be very vinegary, but that's ok, don't worry.
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14
Season with salt, if needed.
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15
Lay the brisket on top of the veggie mix and add the chicken stock to the pan until it just covers the brisket.
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16
Add the bay leaves and thyme.
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17
Cover the pan with foil and roast in the oven.
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18
Roast for 1 hour, check the brisket, and turn it over.
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19
Add more stock if the liquid level has reduced.
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20
Cover the pan again and return it to the oven for another hour.
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21
Remove the foil and roast for 30 minutes more.
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22
Remove the roasting pan from the oven, transfer the brisket to a cutting board, cover with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes.
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23
Skim off any excess fat from the cooking liquid.
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24
If the vegetables are swimming in liquid, reduce the liquid on the stovetop over medium-high heat.
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25
You want the sauce to be soupy.
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26
Taste the liquid and re-season if needed.
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27
Slice the brisket against the grain on the bias.
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28
Serve topped with the onion-mushroom mixture and sprinkle with chopped chives.
