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Chicken Breasts with Broccoli Pesto
Recipe is from Italian Family Dining: Recipes, Menus and Memories of Meals with a Great American Food Family (Rodale Press, 2005) by Edward Giobbi and Eugenia Giobbi Bone
Ingredients
Juice of 3 lemons (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, sliced
2 tablespoons chopped rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dried
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 whole, skinless and boneless chicken breasts, cut in half crosswise
For the pesto:
2 cups broccoli florets
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, sliced
Salt
1/4 cup chicken stock or water
Directions
Marinate the chicken: In a non-reactive bowl big enough to hold the chicken breasts, combine the lemon juice, oil, garlic, rosemary and salt and pepper to taste. Add the chicken breasts and marinate them in the refrigerator for several hours.
Heat the grill.
For the pesto: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the broccoli and cook until the water comes up to a boil again. Scoop out about 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the broccoli.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the garlic and cook the garlic until it begins to take on color, about three minutes. Add the broccoli and about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Cook the florets until they are fork-tender, about 10 minutes.
Transfer the broccoli and garlic to the food processor. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of oil, the remaining garlic and salt to taste and puree to a rough paste. Add the chicken stock a few tablespoons at a time and pulse until the pesto is loose and saucy. Adjust the seasoning.
Grill the chicken breasts over hot coals or gas for about three minutes on each side. Do not overcook the chicken. (If cooking on top of the stove, cook in a lightly oiled grilling pan over high heat for 20 minutes, then turn over and cook for an additional 10 minutes.) Remove the breasts and allow them to rest for a few minutes. Slice the breasts on an angle against the grain of the flesh, about 1/2-inch thick. Garnish with broccoli pesto. Serves four.
Suggestions
This is a perfect, light summer dish. We like to have a salad afterward, and a piece of fruit. Do not over puree the broccoli pesto, as a little texture is nice. Sometimes we add another garlic clove to the pesto.