Recipe: Countertop Grilled Chicken Breasts with Garlic and Parsley (serves 2)

Countertop Grilled Chicken Breasts with Garlic and Parsley
Source: Wolfgang Puck Makes It Easy by Wolfgang Puck
Servings: 2

The versatility and ease of an electric panini maker or countertop double-sided grill shines in this version of one of my favorite chicken recipes. The countertop grill will give you moist, perfectly cooked, crispy-skinned chicken in half the usual time.

1 whole chicken breast, halved and boned, skin left on
8 plump garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium lemon, juiced

Preheat an electric panini maker or double-sided countertop grill.

Ease your fingers between the chicken's skin and meat. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add the peeled garlic cloves and boil them for 1 minute. Drain well and rinse with cold water. Cut the garlic cloves lengthwise into paper-thin slices. Put the garlic in a small bowl with the parsley, salt, and pepper and toss well. Stuff half of the garlic mixture under the skin of the chicken breasts. then lightly salt both sides.

Place the chicken skin side up in the panini maker or countertop grill. Close the lid and cook the chicken until its skin is deep golden brown and the meat is cooked through, about 12 minutes. Test by piercing the meat with a thin skewer and checking to see that the juices run clear.

While the chicken is cooking, melt the butter in a small saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the remaining garlic-parsley mixture and saute until the garlic starts to turn golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the lemon juice and stir and scrape with a wooden spoon to dissolve the pan deposits. Taste the sauce and, if necessary, adjust the seasoning with a little more salt and pepper.

Transfer the chicken breasts to two heated plates. Spoon the sauce over and around the chicken, and serve,

Wolfgang's Easy Tips:

If you've bought skin-on chicken breasts with the bone in, use a boning knife to cut away the rib cage.

The only time-consuming step in this recipe is the preparation of the garlic and parsley. You can have that done well in advance. Keep it in the refrigerator and you can make this meal in minutes.