Chicken with Pine Nut & Feta Chutney
Summer is here!! Finally!! My favorite time of year!! I'm sure some people are finding it a wee bit too hot, but for me, it's just perfect! But now that the temps are getting up there, I'm just as much up for dinners that require no indoor oven use as the next person, so here's an easy grilled chicken recipe with a fantastically flavorful and textured chutney that raises this to "special dinner" status! It's one of my new favorites and I'm so happy to be able to share it with you today!
Grilled chicken breasts are one of those dinner staples we all make again and again but it can get pretty boring, so I am always looking for new ways to serve it up. And this dish really does the trick! First off, the chicken gets a nice soak in lemon juice and olive oil, so it's tender and citrusy. But the real star of this dish, is the pine nut and feta chutney which is not only super duper in the taste department, but a snap to whip up too!
All you do is toss together toasted pine nuts, feta, scallions, currants, olive oil and a bit of salt and pepper. Then, when the chicken is grilled and hot, you top it with the mixture so that the feta gets a little melted. Yum!! That, plus the crunch of the pine nuts, the tang of the scallions and the sweetness and chewiness of the currants, makes every bite a true treat for your mouth!!
And if you have any of the chutney leftover, hide it the back of the fridge somewhere. It makes a great little secret snack for you the next day!
Chicken with Pine Nut & Feta Chutney
Makes about 4 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes, plus however long it takes to grill the chicken
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (if yours are very thick, slice them in half lengthwise)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- The juice of 1 lemon (zest it first and set aside for the chutney)
- Kosher salt and black pepper
For the Chutney
- 1 1/4 cups (about 7 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
- 1 1/2 ounces pine nuts, toasted
- 3-4 scallions, chopped
- 2-3 tablespoons dried currants (if you can't find, you can use dried cranberries instead)
- The lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
The Recipe
1. To make the chicken: About 30 minutes before you're ready to grill, whisk together the 2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice and a some salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Place the chicken in the bowl and coat with the mari4. nade. Let sit at room temperature while you prepare the chutney.
2. To make the chutney: In a medium bowl, combine the feta, pine nuts, scallions, currants, lemon zest and 3 tablespoons oil. Toss well to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper and let sit at room temperature while you're grilling the chicken.
3. Heat the grill to medium-high and remove chicken from marinade, draining a bit. Discard any leftover marinade. Grill chicken, about 6-8 minutes per side, or longer if necessary until chicken is entirely cooked through. Remove chicken from grill and immediately top each piece with a large scoop of the chutney. Let sit for a minute or two to allow the chicken to rest and the cheese to melt slightly. Then serve.
4. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for 2-3 days. If you have a lot of the chutney left over, store it in a separate container in the fridge. It's great as is or on some crusty bread or with crackers.
Enjoy!
Note: Recipe adapted from Chicken Night by Kate McMillan. I tinkered around a bit with this--left out the fresh oregano from the marinade because I'm not a fan and also doubled it because my boys were home and it wouldn't have been enough, so I can vouch that it doubles well.
