Grilled Marinated Chicken Breast with Courgette Ribbons
This grilled marinated chicken, served with courgette ribbons, is a fresh and light recipe that takes moments to make. Finish with garlic, basil and olive oil.
From the book
Simple French Cookery
Classic French cuisine made simple
Quintessential French desserts
Learn from the best with Raymond Blanc's foolproof recipes
Introduction
I do urge you to try this dish. Although it looks quite long it is very simple. It can be prepared a day in advance and then takes only a few minutes to cook. You could experiment with other herbs in the marinade, or even spices if you wish.
Ingredients
| For the grilled chicken: | |
| 4 | boneless, skinless organic or free range chicken breasts |
| 6 tbsp | extra-virgin olive oil |
| Juice of ½ lemon | |
| 2 | garlic cloves, crushed |
| ½ tsp | finely chopped fresh thyme |
| ½ tsp | finely chopped fresh rosemary |
| Sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper | |
| For the marinated courgettes: | |
| 4 | large but firm courgettes, cut lengthways into slices 3mm (⅛in) thick |
| ½ | garlic clove, crushed |
| 8 | fresh basil leaves, torn |
| 4 tbsp | extra-virgin olive oil |
| Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper | |
| For the tomato dressing: | |
| 4 | tomatoes, seeded (but not skinned) and cut into 5mm (¼in) dice |
| 1 | shallot, finely chopped |
| 8 tbsp | extra-virgin olive oil |
| 4 tbsp | water |
| 1 tsp | white wine vinegar |
| 1-2 pinches | of sugar (optional) |
| Sea salt |
Essential kit
You will need a ridged griddle pan.
Method
Preparing the chicken breasts:
Slice each chicken breast horizontally in half, leaving it joined at one side, so you can open it up like a book. Place between 2 sheets of clingfilm and flatten with a meat mallet or rolling pin (be careful not to do this too forcefully or the texture of the meat will be ruined and it will taste dry).
Marinating the chicken:
Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, crushed garlic, thyme, rosemary and 4 pinches of black pepper together to make a marinade. Put the chicken breasts in a large shallow dish, cover them with the marinade, then cover the dish with cling film and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours.
Marinating the courgettes:
Mix the courgette slices with the garlic, basil, olive oil, 6 pinches of salt and 4 pinches of pepper. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 6 hours.
Making the tomato dressing:
Whisk the tomatoes, shallot, oil, water and vinegar together with 4 pinches of salt. Taste and correct the seasoning, adding the sugar if necessary. Set aside in a small saucepan.
Grilling the chicken:
Season the chicken breasts with 4 pinches of salt. On a very hot ridged griddle pan, cook 2 chicken breasts for 2 minutes on each side, then remove and set aside. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts.
Finishing the dish:
Transfer the courgettes and their juices to a large saucepan. Cover and cook over a high heat for 2 minutes, until just tender. Meanwhile, gently heat the tomato dressing; don’t let it boil or the flavour will be spoiled. Remove the courgettes from the pan with a slotted spoon. Put them on 4 plates with the chicken, spoon over the dressing and serve.
Preparation time: 25 minutes, plus at least 6 hours’ marinating. Cooking time: 6 minutes.
