Pamela Salzman’s Grilled Herbed Chicken With Cherry Tomato Vinaigrette

We spend every 4th of July in the Hamptons which means I’m in complete entertaining mode. Usually, we have friends drive up from the city and it’s our way to officially kick off the summer.

This year, at our BBQ, I’m letting the guys grill out and I’m preparing this delicious Grilled Herbed Chicken with Cherry Tomato Vinaigrette from Pamela Salzman. I’ve already given it a test drive and it barely lasted minutes at our house. Everyone dug in right away!

Scroll down for the recipe if you’re looking to prepare something for the holiday that will really impress your guests. It’s as beautiful as it is delicious! And, as we know…it’s all about the presentation!

Ingredients: 

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

¼ cup cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil

1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 Tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley

2 Tablespoons minced fresh oregano

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cherry Tomato Vinaigrette:

3 Tablespoons cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 medium shallot, minced

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

pinch sea salt

black pepper to taste

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 Tablespoon finely sliced fresh basil

1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar

A few handfuls of arugula

Directions: 

1. Place the chicken breasts one at a time in between to pieces of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound to a ¼-inch thickness. You can use a meat mallet or a rolling pin.  The idea is to get the chicken to an even thickness all around.  Set Aside.

2. Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar, garlic, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper in a glass baking dish.

3. Place the pounded chicken in the dish with the marinade and coat it thoroughly. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours or allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes if you’re in a hurry.

4. Heat the grill to medium.

5. In the meantime, prepare the vinaigrette: In a large skillet, heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and sauté the shallots until tender and translucent. Add in the tomatoes and salt and sauté until they start to loose their shape, about 2-3 minutes, as your sautéing, try to mash the tomatoes slightly with your spoon. Turn off the heat and whisk in the Dijon mustard, remaining 2 Tablespoons olive oil and the vinegar. Set aside.

6. Remove chicken from marinade and grill a few minutes on both sides until golden brown.

7. Place the arugula on a large platter and place the chicken on top. Top with the tomato vinaigrette and serve immediately.

For more of Pamela’s recipes, make sure to pick up a copy of her new cookbook, Kitchen Matters (here!) and visit her on her blog.

photo credit: Erica Hampton Photography