Grilled Chicken Breasts with Feta and Pine Nut Relish
To ensure the cheese relish melts slightly, warm it to room temperature before using it to top hot-off-the-grill chicken. Try this relish on baked potatoes, as an omelet filling or over grilled asparagus and portobello mushrooms.
Ingredients
- 6 small boneless, skin-on chicken breast halves, about 2 1/2 lb. (1.25 kg) total
- 5 Tbs. (3 fl. oz./80 ml) olive oil
- 2 tsp. chopped fresh oregano
- Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 1/4 cups (6 1/2 oz./200 g) crumbled feta cheese
- 5 Tbs. (1 1/2 oz./45 g) pine nuts, toasted
- 3 green onions, white and tender green parts only, chopped
- 2 Tbs. dried currants
Directions
Prepare a medium-hot fire in a grill. Brush the grill rack clean and coat with cooking spray.
In a large, nonreactive bowl, toss the chicken with 2 Tbs. of the olive oil, 1 tsp. of the oregano and the lemon juice. Season well with salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.
In a small bowl, toss together the feta, pine nuts, green onions, currants, the remaining 1 tsp. oregano and the lemon zest. Stir in the remaining 3 Tbs. olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature while you grill the chicken.
Arrange the chicken, skin side down, directly over the heat. Close the lid on the grill and cook, turning once, until the chicken is opaque throughout, about 6 minutes per side.
Transfer the chicken breasts to a cutting board and cut each across the grain and on the diagonal into 3/4-inch (2-cm) slices. While the chicken is still piping hot, top each chicken breast with a generous serving of the relish and serve immediately on a platter or the cutting board. Serves 4.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Chicken Night, by Kate McMillan (Weldon Owen, 2014)