grilled chicken

pasta salad with greek chicken and whipped feta

One evening while sailing the Mediterranean, a glass of ouzo in hand and the setting sun on our faces, we were asked an important question: what would you like for dinner? The boat’s chef Stavros was eager to please, making us anything from poached sea bass to Nutella with yogurt. We felt like something light and fresh but also traditionally Greek, since we could spy the coastline rich with olive trees not a mile away. Stavros nodded and disappeared back into the cabin, only to emerge 30 minutes later with two plates of pasta. Tender noodles were dressed with tomatoes, cucumber and olives, topped with the most heavenly grilled chicken I have ever smelled and a creamy feta sauce. We ate on the bow perched on a blanket, each bite washed down with a crisp white wine.

After dinner we dove into the water for a midnight swim. The moonlight bounced along each small wave and we bobbed along happily with full tummies, pleasantly drunk, our skin still warm from the sun.

And then I woke up. The baby was crying. I got tangled in a cloud of balloon strings on the way to the bathroom. Crap. It was a dream. Greece seemed maddeningly far away.

On the bright side, I had dream-invented a recipe. I had been reading this recipe from Saveur right before bed, and naturally my subconscious put my own twist on it. It also invented the perfect vacation that I won’t be able to take for several years, but at this point I’ll just have to settle for this pasta salad. This fresh, light pasta salad topped with juicy herbed chicken and a cool, creamy feta sauce.

To make it, you’ll first need to marinate some chicken thighs. Breasts work too, although I find chicken thighs with their fattier, darker meat grill better and stay more moist. For the marinade, grab some olive oil, oregano, lemon, garlic, thyme, basil, salt and pepper. Use fresh herbs whenever possible.

Place the ingredients in a small food processor or blender.

Whip it on up.

Rinse the chicken, place in a large freezer bag and coat with the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours, preferably 24.

For the pasta and sauce you’ll need noodles (tube-shaped work best; I like mostaccioli), kalamata olives, sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, sour cream, grape or cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, lemon, and cucumber.

To make the whipped feta sauce, toss the feta, sour cream, lemon juice, and olive oil in the food processor.

Blend until smooth.

Cook the pasta and let drain.

Chop up the tomatoes and cucumber into whatever shape and size you like.

Drain some olives…

…and give them a quick chop.

Drain some sun dried tomatoes, reserving the oil.

Run your knife through those as well.

Toss the pasta with the reserved sun dried tomato oil and throw in the veggies.

When you’re ready to eat, preheat your grill to medium.

Grill the chicken thighs for roughly 6-7 minutes per side, or until juices run clear and the middles are no longer pink.

The marinade makes this chicken impossibly moist—it reminds me of the chicken you’ll find in most shawarmas at Greek restaurants. It will give you serious garlic breath, but it’s worth it.

Serve the chicken atop a helping of pasta with a dollop of feta sauce on top.

I’m so pissed at my subconscious for taunting me with the sunny Mediterranean and then yanking it away, but thankful that it left me with the idea for this recipe.

Would it have killed you, brain, to leave me with Stavros as well? He was pretty easy on the eyes, and a fantastic chef to boot.

-RDG

Pasta Salad With Greek Chicken & Whipped Feta, inspired by this recipe from Saveur Click for the handy dandy printable

Serves 8 as a main course.

Inactive Prep Time: at least 8 hours for marinating chicken. Active Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes

For the chicken:

2 small lemons or 1 large
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled
several sprigs fresh oregano, or 1 tsp dried
several sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 tsp dried
several leaves fresh basil, or 1 tsp dried
1 tsp kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
8-10 boneless skinless chicken thighs, rinsed

1) Juice lemons into small food processor. Add olive oil, garlic, oregano, thyme, basil, salt and pepper. Puree until smooth.

2) Place chicken in a large freezer bag. Pour in marinade. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or up to 3 days.

For the whipped feta:

4 oz crumbled feta cheese
2 tbsp olive oil
1 c sour cream or plain yogurt
salt and pepper to taste

1) Place feta, olive oil and sour cream or yogurt in a small food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For the pasta salad:

1 lb tube-shaped pasta
2 tbsp sun dried tomato oil (from jar of sun dried tomatoes packed in oil)
1 cucumber, peeled and diced
15-20 cherry tomatoes, cut in halves or quarters
1/3 c chopped kalamata olives
1/4 c chopped sun dried tomatoes

1) Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and pour into a large bowl. Toss with the sun dried tomato oil.

2) Toss pasta with the cucumber, tomatoes, olives and sun dried tomatoes. Top with one chicken thigh and a dollop of whipped feta. Serve.

grilled chicken burgers with brie and rosemary rhubarb

Throughout most of high school, college, graduate school and the years in-between, I worked in a restaurant that serves gourmet burgers. I spent days roasting peppers, months breading onion rings, years frying bacon and a lifetime flipping burgers, to use the ubiquitous phrase. I loved every moment of it. When I would work the morning shift it would be just me, a co-worker or two, the Stones blaring on the stereo and a kitchen full of prep cooking to be done. It was hard work but it was also a peaceful: nothing mattered but the pressing of the lemons, the trimming of the chicken and the whisking of the batter.

For some people, running or yoga gives them clarity. My clearest thinking, on the other hand, happens at the grill. It’s the only culinary endeavor in which I don’t have to think about what I’m doing: the years I spent turning chicken and salting patties have made it second nature. As I result, while I’m grilling I think of…nothing. My mind goes blank. My hands do all the work and my head goes zen. I know, I know—I’m weird.

I can make the perfect burger with my eyes closed, but I also like to mix it up and experiment with ingredients and flavors. I could write a novel about cooking beef patties, and I’m sure I will before the grilling season is out. But today let’s talk about chicken.

Grilled chicken breasts can go one of two ways: they can be the most amazing piece of poultry you’ve ever eaten in your life, or they can be dry as paper and hard as a rock. To prevent this catastrophe and maintain moisture, I like to take a few precautions:

Pound your chicken breasts thin or slice in half (as I did with the ones pictured above). This will reduce the total cooking time needed and lessen the chance that you’ll overcook while trying to get rid of that pesky pink middle.
Marinate. Use your favorite recipe, or simply toss ‘em in a Ziploc with a little vinaigrette. Any mixture containing an acid (citrus, vinegar, etc.) will work to tenderize the meat. An overnight marinade with generally produce the most tender, flavorful chicken, but if you’ve run out of time, just rinse your chicken breasts, pat dry, and let them sit refrigerated in the marinade for as long as you can (even 30 minutes will help).
Prep the grill. Turn the heat to medium-high, close the lid, and let it warm up for 10 minutes. Then give it a good scrub with your grill brush, wipe down (carefully and quickly) with a damp towel you don’t mind ruining, and brush with oil or spray with cooking spray (VERY carefully: oil usually creates flames). Turn down heat to medium and give it a few minutes to cool before laying on the chicken.
Lay the chicken breasts on the grill and don’t close the lid. Closing the lid will add indirect heat that can dry out the chicken.
Flip not by timing but by appearance. Once all of the edges are evenly white and the pink is beginning to disappear from the tops, it’s time to flip (in the photo above, the breast pieces are ready to be turned).
Check by actually cutting into the chicken. Thermometers are not always reliable. Cut into the thickest part of the breast to make sure all of the pink has turned white. The moment that happens, pull that sucker off the grill.

Whew. Turns out I needed to write a novel on grilling chicken as well.

Stepping off my soapbox now. Let’s move onto the good stuff.

For my first chicken burgers of the season, I decided to go with some fresh summer flavors. Remember that decadent rhubarb shortcake I made the other day? It was the inspiration for this dish. I used the same basic recipe for the rhubarb compote, but this time adding a little rosemary to give it more balance of flavor for this savory dish.

Once you’ve grilled your marinated chicken breasts (or breast halves, if you’ve cut them for grilling), top with a few slices of brie while they’re still on the grill. If you’ve cooking halved breasts, you can overlap them so that they fit nicely on the bun.

While you’re at it, toast your buns on the grill. One minute per side should be plenty.

Once the brie is slightly melted (not too melted—brie can get really runny), pull those babies off and dress your buns. Spread on a little mayo (an herbed aioli would work nicely, too), some lettuce or spinach, and a dollop of the rhubarb compote on top.

I always love the pairing of brie with sweet spreads, and I loved it even more on this burger. It was unexpected and yet the flavors blended together really well. Sweet and savory combos always win me over.

They also make me perform interpretive dances. But I won’t show you those.

Fresh, easy, summery meal, pretty enough to serve for company.

My zen is gone and the long weekend is over. But grilling season is upon us, and I can’t wait to stand over the propane flames, the smell of summer seeping into my apron, and think of…nothing.

-RDG

Grilled Chicken Burgers with Brie and Rosemary Rhubarb

4 marinated chicken breasts, halved or pounded thin (see suggestions above)
8 slices brie cheese
Rhubarb compote with rosemary (see recipe below)
4 potato rolls or your favorite hamburger buns
Aioli or mayo, for dressing buns
Lettuce or spinach, for dressing buns

Place chicken breasts on clean, greased pre-heated gas grill on set to medium-high. Flip once edges of breasts turn white and continue grilling until no longer pink in the center. Top each breast (if halved, overlap the two halves) with two slices brie and let melt slightly. Toast buns if desired.

Spread buns with aioli or mayo and top with lettuce. Place each chicken breast on top of lettuce and finish with a dollop of the rhubarb compote. Serves 4.

Rosemary Rhubarb Compote

4 stalks rhubarb, trimmed of leaves and chopped into 1/4? pieces
1/2 plus 1/8 cups water, divided
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 packet gelatin
1 teaspoon fresh minced rosemary

Bring 1/2 cup water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Add the rhubarb, stir and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until rhubarb has softened and mixture has thickened. Remove from heat. Pour the remaining 1/8 cup water into a shallow dish and sprinkle in gelatin. Let sit for 5 minutes. Once rhubarb mixture has cooled slightly, stir in activated gelatin and rosemary. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate overnight or until set.