another gem from finecooking, and one of the quickest and easiest things to make. this is perfect for a night when you’re really starving but you only have a half hour or so of cooking in you.
pesto rubbed chicken with tomatoes and basil
4 butterflied chicken breasts, or chicken breast cutlets
(no more than 1/2 inch thick – if they are, pound them thinner)
home made or store bought pesto (about 1/4-1/2 cup depending on how much you like pesto)
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper
olive oil
mix the lemon juice into your pesto. lightly season your chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides (don’t go nuts because store bought pesto is already salted), then rub the pesto in. i did this step, then put the chicken in the fridge for a half hour while i made the tomatoes.
tomatoes and basil
one and a half big, fresh, and ripe jersey tomatoes (if you’re not lucky enough to be in the state with the best tomatoes ever, you can use 4 ripe plum tomatoes)
2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
generous tsp of dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
2 med cloves or 1 large clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
generous freshly ground black pepper
seed the tomatoes and dice them. combine all of the ingredients except the tomatoes and basil in a bowl and whisk til the dressing comes together. once it does, add the basil and whisk it in. finally, toss the tomatoes in the dressing and set aside (not in the fridge!).
back to the chicken. add a good amount of olive oil (i probably used 3 Tbsp) to your grill pan, then heat it to medium-high heat. when the pan is hot and a little smoky, add your chicken breasts. grill 2-3 minutes on one side, until you can see the edges turning white, then flip once to grill the other side, taking 4-6 minutes total.
serve tomatoes atop hot chicken, preferably with lemony orzo. enjoy your vacation to flavor town.
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