A Hungry Bear

Grilled chicken is such a staple in our house that I hardly ever consider how I make it. Just toss in olive oil, salt, pepper, maybe a squeeze of lemon juice while it’s cooking, and that’s it. Not exciting, but because I use a meat thermometer it’s never dry or bad per se… We just accept the fact that it’s going to be a boring vehicle for protein, good for topping salads. But then I saw this simple recipe in Bon Appetit last month, where you soak it in balsamic, and press some mixed herbs into the chicken right before grilling. Not much more effort than what I was already doing, so I tried it. And it really was 10 times better. For the first time in years, I think I actually was a tiny bit excited to be eating grilled chicken!

Adapted from Bon Appetit.

Grocery list (for an “economy size” batch!): 3 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts, 1/2 cup balsamic, 1/4 cup olive oil, kosher salt, fresh herbs (whatever you have on hand - I used sage, mint, rosemary and oregano; the original calls for dried herbs de provence), pepper, blue cheese crumbles (or enough slices for 1 per chicken breast).

Mix the olive oil and balsamic in a small bowl, and whisk in a generous pinch of salt and a lot of black pepper.

Place the chicken in a large ziploc bag and pour in the oil and vinegar mixture. Allow to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or several hours if you have the time.

I just grabbed whatever fresh herbs I had in my container garden, but you could use almost anything that isn’t too delicate. Mince the herbs and mix together.

Light the grill. Lay the marinated chicken onto a platter, and press the herbs into one side. Grill over medium heat, herb side up first, for 7-8 minutes, then flip and continue cooking. I always use a meat thermometer so they won’t dry out - but I’d estimate it took about 15 minutes total.

When you pull the chicken off the grill, immediately sprinkle some blue cheese crumbles on top. The chicken will be hot enough to melt it - no need to make a mess trying to do this on the grill. These keep really well as leftovers too.