By Cathy Thomas | SCNG

This Caprese Grilled Chicken dish pairs boneless, skinless bird with torn wedges of fresh mozzarella cheese and basil oil. It’s a summery concoction that adds a delicious touch of acidity and sweetness by adding a quick pickle topping of cherry tomatoes. The halved tomatoes take about 25 minutes to prepare, most of that time unsupervised with tomato halves resting in a pleasing brine that stars white balsamic vinegar.

White balsamic vinegar is made from the same Trebbiano grape as dark balsamic vinegar. The white vinegar has a milder, less sweet taste than its darker counterpart.

Grilled Chicken Caprese with Basil Oil

Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 small garlic clove, peeled

1 cup packed fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided use

Kosher salt

1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons coriander seeds, divided use

8 ounces yellow cherry tomatoes, halved from top to bottom

4 (7-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, see cook’s notes

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves, plus fresh thyme leaves to garnish

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Ground black pepper

Vegetable oil for brushing grate

1 pound red cherry tomatoes, preferably on the vine

8 ounces fresh mozzarella, see cook’s notes

Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, to taste

Cook’s notes: The original recipe calls for four (7-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but I like to use five because I enjoy the leftovers. I also use more mozzarella than is noted in the recipe, 12 ounces rather than 8 is more to my cheese-loving liking.

DIRECTIONS

1. With the motor running, drop garlic clove through the feedtube. Once garlic is minced, add basil and 1/2 cup olive oil; process until finely minced, about 1 minute. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine vinegar, sugar, 1/2 tablespoon coriander seeds and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking to dissolve sugar. Stir in yellow tomatoes and remove from heat. Cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes. Strain and discard liquid.

3. While tomatoes marinate, preheat the grill to high (450- to 500-degrees). Place remaining 1 tablespoon coriander seeds in a mortar and pound or grind using pestle until coarsely ground (this can also be accomplished by putting seeds in a zipper-style plastic bag and pounding with a skillet). Sprinkle chicken breasts with 1 tablespoon olive oil; sprinkle with thyme, crushed red pepper, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, and crushed coriander. Brush heated grill grate with a wire brush to clean it. Fold a paper towel into a small square and grasp with tongs. Dip paper into a small bowl of vegetable oil and use the paper held by the tongs to wipe grate. Grill chicken until it just starts to lightly char on the bottom, 5 to 6 minutes. Turn and grill until chicken registers 160 degrees in thickest part using an instant read thermometer, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a platter and cover loosely with aluminum foil. (Internal temperature will continue to rise to 165 degrees.)

4. Drizzle red tomatoes with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Grill tomatoes until they barely start to wrinkle, about 4 minutes. Place mozzarella between chicken; spoon on basil oil. Top with grilled tomatoes and pickled tomatoes. Sprinkle with flakey salt. Garnish with additional fresh basil and fresh thyme.

Source: Adapted from “Food and Wine Annual Cookbook 2024” from Food and Wine Books

Award-winning food writer Cathy Thomas has written three cookbooks, including “50 Best Plants on the Planet.” Follow her at CathyThomasCooks.com.