This Italian sauce is boldly flavored and so simple to make. It can transform salmon, even steak. Here it’s served with grilled, butterflied chicken breasts-the butterfly technique is so simple and your eye sees a bountiful and beautiful plate.
but you can whiz it in the processor if you’d like, just add a third or so of the oil with the ingredients and drizzle in the rest. Remember, you want to keep the texture a bit coarse, so pulse carefully or you’ll end up with green soup.
Ingredients
- For the Chicken:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon, washed and quartered
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 3 branches fresh rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dried
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied
- For the Salsa Verde:
- 1 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 cup mint leaves, chopped
- 2 cup basil, chopped
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons capers, rinsed and chopped
- 4 anchovy fillets, soaked, chopped
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or more to taste
- coarse sea salt, to taste
Method
- In a large plastic sealable bag, squeeze the juice from the lemons and add the lemon. Add all the remaining ingredients, seal carefully and massage the marinade into the chicken. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, or even overnight.
- (Note you can freeze the chicken in the marinade as well.)
- For the Salsa Verde:
- Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside until serving. Refrigerate if made earlier in the day and remove an hour or so before serving.
- To cook the chicken:
- Lightly spray a stovetop cast iron griddle or pan with or lightly oil and heat over medium high heat until smoking.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat off excess marinade.
- Place the chicken on the griddle and cook about 2-3 minutes per side. Turn the chicken and cook 2 more minutes, until cooked through.
- Place on platter and top with Salsa Verde or serve alongside.
Serve with
- Sauteed Cherry tomatoes (1 Pint)
- 1 T oil
- 2 whole garlic cloves
- Splash of Balsamic Vinegar
- Sautee lightly crush with spatula
- Heat oil in small sauté pan, add garlic and tomatoes and splash of balsamic vinegar – crush lightly with a wooden spoon. Serve immediately.
NOTE CAN SERVE THIS WITH SALMON INSTEAD OF CHICKEN