Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Star-Spangled Chicken

None of the candidates channeled Herbert Hoover's "a car in every garage and two chickens in every pot" slogan, but we've decided to call out all the stops in these uncertain economic times.

The sages of American literature and popular journalism, The Old Farmer's Almanac, have tossed along their take on chicken with gusto.

The recipe for this delectable dish is featured below and in The Old Farmer's Almanac Everyday Cookbook, along with 400 other mouthwatering recipes.

Grilled Star-Spangled Chicken With Fireworks Salsa

SALSA:
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 can (20 ounces) pineapple tidbits, well drained
1-1/2 teaspoons chipotle chile purée or powder, to taste
1 small red onion, diced
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon melted jalapeño jelly, or to taste
1 to 2 teaspoons finely minced fresh cilantro leaves

For salsa: Halve the peppers and remove the stems, seeds, and large ribs. Set aside half of each color. Dice the remaining pepper halves and place them in a nonreactive bowl with the remaining salsa ingredients. Stir well. Allow the salsa to meld at room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving. Taste and adjust seasonings, as desired.

Cut the remaining pepper halves into julienne strips and small star shapes for garnish; dice the trimmings and add to the salsa.

CHICKEN:
6 boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons apricot jam
2 tablespoons mango chutney
1 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard
2 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice

For chicken: Rinse the chicken and pat it dry. Place the chicken breasts in a large resealable plastic bag. Whisk together the remaining ingredients in a small bowl to make a marinade and pour it over the chicken. Seal the bag and refrigerate it for several hours or overnight, turning occasionally.

Preheat the grill. Remove the chicken from the marinade and pour the marinade into a small bowl. Coat the grill rack with vegetable cooking spray and place it 4 to 6 inches from medium-hot coals or flame. Arrange the chicken on the grill and cook for 6 to 8 minutes per side, basting with the marinade and turning occasionally. The chicken is cooked through when the juices are no longer pink and the internal temperature reads 180 degrees F on a meat thermometer.

Place a dollop of salsa on each serving plate and put a chicken beast half in the center. Garnish with the pepper stars and stripes. Makes 6 servings.

1 comments:

firefighteralan said...

This sounds like an awesome dish,however, I would suggest saving half of the marinade in the bowl when pouring over the raw chicken to use for basting. I not sure the marinade would get hot enough to kill any bacteria that might be associated with the raw chicken when you are only brushing it on while grilling, especially in the last minutes. Nevertheless, I'll be cooking this at the Fire Station for our crew!