Bon Appétit (June 2009)
We love grilling chicken, but more often than not, we end up slathering it in barbecue sauce. The sweet-smoky barbecue flavor is great, and it's one of our favorite summer dishes.
But all that sticky barbecue sweetness had left our sweet tooths a little overindulged. So one night last week, we found ourselves craving some grilled chicken that was decidedly savory.
This Herbed Balsamic Chicken with Blue Cheese sounded like the perfect fit!
Marinating the chicken in balsamic vinegar is a really terrific idea. It's incredibly simple (just balsamic, olive oil, salt and pepper), but the marinade gives the chicken a bold, dark, savory base of flavor. It also keeps the chicken breasts extremely moist and juicy while they're cooking on the grill.
Herbes de Provence are a great addition to your spice rack. Aromatic and spicy, the mixture of herbs captures the flavors of traditional Provencial cuisine (although the idea of selling herbes de Provence as a pre-mixed spice blend didn't come around until the 1970s).
The herbes give the chicken a really bright, summery flavor. But the piece de resistance is the blue cheese. Slice it thin and throw it on the chicken after you take it off the grill, and it adds a sharp, tangy twist to all the great flavors already going on. And the warm, melty cheese makes an incredible match for the chicken's smoky char.
This is an ideal summer grilling dish. Other than the two-hour marinating time, the meal comes together in no time. And its salty, savory flavors already have us salivating for more!
Herbed Balsamic Chicken with Blue Cheese
Bon Appétit (July 2009)
Subscribe to Bon Appétit
(This photo: Bon Appétit)
6 servings
Ingredients
* 6 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (5 to 6 ounces each)
* 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt, divided
* 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided
* 2 teaspoons herbes de Provence*
* 1 3- to 4-ounce wedge blue cheese, cut into 6 slices
Preparation
Place chicken in large resealable plastic bag. Whisk vinegar, 3 tablespoons oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in small bowl. Add to chicken; seal bag. Chill 2 hours, turning bag occasionally.
Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Brush grill rack generously with oil. Arrange chicken on grill. Sprinkle with herbes de Provence, 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Grill chicken until cooked through, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer to plates; top each with slice of cheese.
