Quick-griddled chicken with herbs
halves cook in less than 10 minutes. However, a super-informal survey of my area grocery stores reveals many prepackaged chicken breast halves weighing 10 to 14 ounces. So, I prefer to butterfly these huge chicken breasts to make them thinner (so they cook faster) and more uniform in thickness (so they cook evenly without drying).
Please don’t be afraid to use heat in the kitchen. Yes, of course, in the form of fresh chiles and chili powder. But, here, I’m talking about heat under the pan. Start with the empty pan or griddle on high heat and then turn it down to mediumhigh for cooking. This way you’ll certainly get beautiful browning and a bit of crustiness and avoid a bland unattractive meal.
The griddle-seared chicken can be customized to suit any taste or season of the year. In late summer, I tuck garden-fresh tomatoes into everything I cook. In the recipe here, diced ripe tomatoes and marinated mozzarella turn Capresestyle salad into a main-course offering.
In the fall, roasted diced apples, onions and butternut squash make a delicious accompaniment. So does a bath of melted butter swirled in the pan after the chicken cooks, stirred while scraping up the browned bits — try adding some canned artichoke hearts and 1 or 2 tablespoons of drained capers. I can’t resist a sandwich made with hot, freshly griddled chicken breast on whole grain toast with a smear of avocado and a handful of arugula.
The recipes that follow can be cut in half. But whenever possible, I like to cook enough for the meal at hand, plus enough for a few leftovers to add later to salads, soups, stir-fries and rice bowls.