Memorable Quotes:

"A Bearnaise sauce is simply an egg yolk, a shallot, a little tarragon vinegar and butter, but it takes years of practice for the result to be perfect." Fernand Point

Chicken Mozzarela Melts with Cherry Tomatoes

Thin chicken cutlets are quickly grilled and topped with melted mozzarella, a warm garlicky tomato and pepper mixture, fresh basil and lightly dressed arugula. Serve with grilled crusty bread to soak up the juices.



Servings: 4
Prep Time: About 20 minutes
Cook Time: About 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, about 6 ounces each, butterflied
  • 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 12 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup halved Peppadew peppers
  • 1 tablespoon Peppadew brine
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 ounces mozzarella, cut into 6 slices
  • ¼ cup packed fresh basil leaves
  • 1 cup packed baby arugula
  • Grilled crusty bread, for serving

Instructions:

  1. Place the chicken between sheets of plastic wrap and pound to a scant ¼-inch thickness.
  2. Heat a grill to medium-high.
  3. Combine ¼ cup olive oil and the sliced garlic in a large cast-iron skillet. Place the skillet on the grill and cook until the garlic is golden, about 1 minute.
  4. Add the cherry tomatoes and Peppadew peppers. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the tomatoes begin to burst and the mixture thickens slightly, about 12 minutes.
  5. Remove the skillet from the grill. Cover the grill and allow it to reheat for about 5 minutes.
  6. Drizzle the chicken with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
  7. Grill until lightly charred in spots, about 1–2 minutes.
  8. Turn the chicken over and top with the mozzarella. Cover the grill and cook for about 1 minute, or until the cheese melts and the chicken is cooked through.
  9. Transfer the chicken to serving plates and spoon the warm tomato and Peppadew mixture over the top. Finish with the fresh basil.
  10. Toss the arugula with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon Peppadew brine.
  11. Place the dressed arugula over the chicken and serve with grilled crusty bread.

Cook’s Note: I prepared this indoors rather than on an outdoor grill. The chicken was cooked on a grill pan, while the tomatoes and peppers were cooked separately in a cast-iron skillet.

Tip: Your note says you used cherry tomatoes in place of the Peppadew peppers. If that's how you normally make it, I would simply double the cherry tomatoes to about 24 ounces and omit both the Peppadews and their brine. For the arugula dressing, a teaspoon or two of red wine vinegar would nicely replace the missing Peppadew brine.

Source: Not provided