Graham Elliot: Masterchef talks BBQ and baseball

Grilled Chicken with Watermelon-Olive Salsa – paired with Mike's Hard Apple Ale

Reinvention of: Plain Grilled Chicken Breast

Serves 4 to 6

2 chickens, each weighing 2 1/2 to 3 pounds

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon espelette , cayenne, or hot paprika

1 teaspoon ground sumac, optional, see Note

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoons poppy seeds

2 cups plain yogurt

6 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano leaves

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Zest of 1 lemon

Watermelon salsa

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 tablepoons olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons ground sumac, optional

3 cups diced watermelon

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1 cucumber, diced

½ cup chopped Kalamata olives

1 jalapeno, thinly sliced (and seeded if you like less heat)

½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves

¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves

Grated zest and juice of 1 lime

Salt

Trim any excess skin from the chickens around the necks and cavity. Using poultry shears, carefully remove the backbones. Season the chickens on both sides with salt and pepper.

Put the espelette, sumac, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, and poppy seeds in a blender or spice grinder and process to a powder. Add the yogurt, garlic, honey, red pepper flakes, oregano, parsley, and lemon zest and blend until well mixed.

Lay the chicken in a glass or ceramic dish large enough to hold them in a single layer, or put them in a large sealable plastic bag. Cover them with the yogurt marinade, turning them to coat thoroughly. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours.

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for indirect grilling so that the heat is medium-high.

Lift the chickens from the marinade and let the excess drip back into the dish or plastic bag. Scrape off any that does not drip off. Lay the chickens on the grill, skin side up, spread out so that they are as flat as possible. Cover the grill and brush the chickens with the marinade every 10 minutes or so. Cook for about 40 minutes or until the juices run clear when the dark meat is pierced in a thick place and the internal temperature of the white meat is 165ºF.


Charlotte diced all 4 cups of watermelon herself, and then pitted the olives.

Meanwhile, make the salsa. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, olive oil, honey and sumac.


"The limes are naked!" Catie after zesting two limes.

Add the watermelon, cucumber, olives, jalapeno, parsley, cilantro, and mint. Toss gently to coat with the dressing. Season with the lime juice and zest and then adjust the seasoning with salt. Serve with the chicken.

CAM02547

Food pictures by Angela & daughters Charlotte & Catherine

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