Tuscan Grilled Chicken with Orange and Rosemary
Make this quick and easy marinade in the morning and let the chicken marinate all day. Fire up the grill, put on some rice, toss a salad, and you have dinner in 30 minutes! Pictured here, I grilled a whole cornish hen, then served on a bed of baby spinach surrounded with slices of the Cara Cara orange I had zested for the marinade. The heat of the hen quickly wilted the leaves, and the juices of the hen and the oranges added a lovely flavor to the spinach.
Yield 4 servings
Ingredients
1 chicken, cut into halves or serving pieces
marinade:
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary (or half as much dried)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
| 1 | Combine the marinade ingredients in a blender and blend for 30 seconds. |
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| 2 | Place chicken pieces in a plastic zip bag and pour marinade over. Smush it around a bit to coat all the pieces. Let marinate, refrigerated, for 2 to 8 hours. |
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| 3 | Preheat gas or charcoal grill and grill chicken for 20 to 25 minutes, turning twice during cooking. Grill temperatures vary, so take care not to burn chicken. You want a deep brown glaze to form. |
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| 4 | Remove to serving platter and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. If you have an extra chunk of orange left over, squeeze the juice over the chicken. Garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs and orange slices, if desired. |
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