Recipe: Grilled Chicken with Tomato, Basil and Olive Sauce

GRILLED CHICKEN WITH TOMATO, BASIL AND OLIVE SAUCE



"The olive oil adds a delicate bitterness to this dish that is reinforced by the olives and lemon zest. There are myriad variations - the olives can be replaced by broiled, slightly bitter zucchini, fresh herbs or sweet roasted pepper. This sauce is wonderful with any grilled meat or fish."

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
FOR THE MARINADE:
12 tablespoons good, peppery extra virgin olive oil, divided use
Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
2 small cloves of garlic, finely diced, divided use
2 tablespoons finely sliced basil leaves, divided use
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE BASIL AND OLIVE SAUCE:
4 medium tomatoes, peeled and quartered
10 large green olives, pitted
1 teaspoon lemon juice

TO PREPARE THE CHICKEN:
Trim the chicken breasts of any fat and remove their fillets. Place each breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and gently beat with a rolling pin until they form 4 thin escalopes.

Make the marinade by mixing together 4 tablespoons of olive oil with the lemon zest, half the garlic and half the basil. Put the remaining garlic and basil in a separate bowl with the remaining 8 tablespoons of olive oil and set aside for the sauce.

Mix the marinade with the chicken and season with black pepper. Cover and chill until needed.

TO MAKE THE BASIL AND OLIVE SAUCE:
Place a strainer over the reserved bowl of basil oil. Cut away the tomato seeds, dropping them into the strainer. Strain the tomato juice into the bowl of basil oil, sieving out the seeds. Cut the tomato flesh and olives into strips and add to the basil oil. Season with lemon juice salt and pepper (if the tomatoes are very acidic you may not need lemon juice); set aside.

TO COOK THE CHICKEN:
Preheat a stovetop grill pan over a medium high heat. Once hot cook the chicken for 4 minutes on each side or until done.

Serve with the Basil and Olive Sauce spooned over each breast.

Makes 4 servings
Adapted from source: Taste by Sybil Kapoor