Ok, here’s another meal that falls under the category of summer simplicity. This dinner is quick and easy to pull together. Grilling chicken is pretty straight forward and the results are delicious, as long as you don’t overcook the bird and dry out the meat. I find spatchcocking the bird produces the most evenly cooked results. The simple marinade infuses this chicken with tons of flavor and begins the tenderizing process. Crispy and tangy is the result. These beautiful, unusually large pattypan squash that I found in the market were irresistible. After a quick saute with garlic and serrano chile, they make a great accompaniment to the chicken, along with lovely
. A beautifully balanced summertime meal.
Lemon Rosemary Grilled Chicken with Spicy Pattypan Squash
Nothing says summer like the grilled char of chicken. Not a lot of effort involved here: the citrus and herb marinade is as easy to whip together as a salad dressing. Pour it on, let the chicken absorb all those good flavors and throw on the grill. Easy peasy.
To spatchcock or butterfly the chicken, turn the whole bird breast side down. Using poultry shears or a butcher knife, split the back open, cutting through either side of the backbone. Turn the bird breast side up and flatten by cracking the breast bone with your hands–it’s easy to do. Marinate the chicken: squeeze lemon juice over the bird, sprinkle over chopped garlic, chopped rosemary leaves and drizzle generously with olive oil. Season well with kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper and sweet paprika. Alternatively, you could mix the marinade ingredients together in a small bowl and then pour the dressing on top–whichever suits your fancy. Just be sure to fully spread that marinade all over the chicken. Let stand covered in a refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 4.
Preheat a charcoal or gas grill. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place, skin side down, on the grill grate. Close grill cover to allow chicken to cook through for 15 minutes. Open grill cover and turn chicken over. Cover and continue to grill another 15 to 25 minutes until fully cooked through–when the thigh is pierced with a knife, the juices should run clear.
While the chicken’s on the barbie, dice up some fresh squash–pattypan or otherwise. Mince a few garlic cloves, some serrano chile (adjust the amount to your level of heat). Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add olive oil until shimmering. Quickly cook garlic and chile, stirring, until just translucent.
Add squash to skillet and season with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Let saute, undisturbed in pan, for 3 to 4 minutes until it begins to caramelize. Turn squash and let cook for 3 to 4 minutes longer. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Remove chicken from the grill and place on a cutting board. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving.
The smoky and tangy grilled chicken goes wonderfully well with the squash, which has sweet tender flesh but a nice kick of heat from the chile. Add my fragrantly delicious herbed stuffed tomato to perfectly round out this meal.
Serves 4:
4 pound chicken, preferably organic
juice of 1 to 2 lemons
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon rosemary leaves, chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
Spicy Pattypan Squash:
1 1/2 pounds pattypan squash
extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 serrano chile, thinly sliced and seeded
kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
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