Grilled Lemon-Sage Chicken

Grilled Lemon-Sage Chicken

Found in The New American Heart Association Cookbook, 2001

Serves 6

Marinade:

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (1 to 2 medium lemons)

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried, crushed

2 or 3medium cloves garlic minced, or 1 1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic

1 teaspoon, whole black peppercorns, cracked

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, all visible fat removed

6 lemon slices, cut in half (optional)

Fresh sage leaves (optional)

1. In an airtight plastic bag, combine marinade ingredients.

2. Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels.

3. Put chicken smooth side up between two sheets of plastic wrap. Using a tortilla press or the smooth side of a meat mallet, lighten flatten chicken to 1/8-inch thickness.

4. Add to marinade and turn to coat evenly. Seal and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight, turn bag occasionally .

5. Discard marinade.

6. Preheat grill to medium-high.

7.Grill chicken for 6 to 7 minutes on each side until done.

8. Serve garnished with fresh sage leaves and lemon slices.

When preparing the marinade, I was very concerned because there was very little liquid called for. The marinade was very paste-like. Despite the small amount of liquid, all pieces of chicken appeared sufficiently coated in the marinade.

I think this turned out pretty good... the chicken had a very "woodsy" taste because of the sage and rosemary. It was a bit overwhelming. I would recommend brushing most of the seasoning off before grilling to avoid this problem. The chicken grilled up very juicy and wasn't overly acidic. It paired really well with a buttery rice dish and a sweet vegetable (I made sweet peas).