Yes I’m still blogging and no I have not been on some dramatic starvation diet or ridiculous juice ‘cleanse’. Sometimes the necessary perfect trifecta of blog-worthy food + decent-enough photo + remembering to take said photo before devouring otherwise spectacular blog-worthy food goes on holiday. Added to which, this week we had 2 additional factors at play: hubby in London (sadly not on holiday) and dead digital camera battery. Hubby in London means I’m either making creative use of leftovers (read: not blog-worthy) or getting my Chinese takeout fix. As for the dead digital camera battery – well it made for a quintessential Homer Simpson ‘Doh’ moment!
Fortunately the stars aligned the other night when I made this delicious raspberry-balsamic glazed grilled chicken. The secret (in the sauce) is the combination of tomato sauce plus the raspberry jam and balsamic vinegar. The tomatoes balance out the sweetness. There’s nothing tomato-y about the sauce – by taste you’d never have guessed they’re even in there. Since we’re in glorious peak tomato season, I opted to quick-roast and puree a very small batch of simple fresh sauce. You can substitute a jarred sauce if you like. I haven’t bought jarred sauce since – actually can’t say since I can’t remember – but I’m sure there are plenty of good-enough ones out there given the tomato sauce is not playing a starring role here.
Grilling/searing tip: sugar caramelizes and can burn quickly – which is why sweet glazes are brushed onto meat near the end of cooking. You want your chicken fairly close to done before glazing it. And once glazed, finish the cooking over lower heat.
Be sure to serve the extra sauce alongside for dipping – and feel free to garnish with a few fresh raspberries if you didn’t polish yours off at breakfast. Isn’t summer just the greatest?
Buon Appetito.
raspberry-balsamic glazed grilled chicken
- 4 Roma (plum) tomatoes OR 1/2 cup store-bought tomato sauce
- 4 Tbs olive oil, divided
- Salt/Pepper
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2″ thick and patted dry
- 1/4 cup minced shallots (about 2)
- 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
- 2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tbs red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1. Preheat oven to 375. Roughly chop tomatoes, drizzle with 2 Tbs olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast the tomatoes for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and pulse to coarsely puree. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Set 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce aside.
2. Sweat shallots in 1 Tbs oil over medium heat until softened, 2-3 minutes. Whisk in fresh tomato sauce (or jarred if using), jam, balsamic and red wine vinegar, dijon and worcestershire. Simmer sauce over low heat 10 minutes. Taste and season with salt/pepper.
3. Drizzle chicken with remaining 1 Tbs oil. Grill chicken (using outdoor grill or stovetop grill pan), over medium heat, 4 minutes and flip. Grill second side 4 minutes. Turn heat to low. Brush chicken with raspberry-balsamic sauce, flip and grill 1 minute. Brush second side with sauce, flip and grill 1 minute. Remove chicken from grill and check for doneness. If not fully cooked through, continue process until chicken is done. Do not overcook.
Serve with a green vegetable and/or orzo or rice and extra sauce on the side. Serves 4.
Recipe adapted from Cuisine at Home magazine
Extra sauce a must..what a delightful recipe.