I cannot remember where the base idea for this recipe came from, but after 4 years of tweaks, I think it's perfect. And, yes, I realize it's the wrong time of year for a recipe for grilling, but you can blame Erica for that! That's also the reason there is no picture of the finished dish. Sorry. It's nickname, Dessert Chicken, came about one summer when my friend Amy's husband refused dessert at our BBQ in lieu of more of chicken. "No thanks, this chicken is better than dessert!" His actual words.
**Author's note: I'm pretty sure I'd be better and getting all the recipes posted on here that I have requests for but as I sat here and typed this all out I realized how much I hate doing this, because recipes are so precise and I'm so NOT precise when I cook. You all know that when I write something like "2 tsp. Dijon mustard" what I'm really doing is giving my Dijon squeeze bottle one good squeeze, right? So, if you don't have white wine vinegar, use rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Same thing with the oil. Or, if you find yourself fresh out of shallots (or asking "What on earth is a shallot?") just use a half of a small onion. I do that regularly. Basically what I'm getting at is: RELAX! In my kitchen anyway, recipes are just a place to begin. Which is why on my recipe posts there are always three times more notes than actual recipe. Can you say long-winded! Yikes.
This marinade recipe is officially for 4 chicken cutlets. But I always stuff twice that much into my bags and just thrown in a little extra oil and vinegar (let's say 3 Tbs oil/ 1 Tbs vinegar, for those of you who NEED amounts.) Oh, and by cutlets, I mean chicken breasts that I've cut in half (butterflied, but cut completely through), because who actually pays for 'cutlets'?! (Watch this short video for instruction on butterflying if that last sentence made no sense to you.)
Okay. (-breath-) That's all the tips I have for now. On to the recipe...
Marinade
1/4 c. white wine vinegar
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. salt
black pepper to taste (I usually just throw in four or five whole peppercorns)
2/3 c. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 shallots, roughly chopped
Combine all ingredients in a zip-top bag and squish around to mix, then add chicken. Press all the air out of the bag as you close it, place the bag in a bowl or baking dish (in case it leaks) and put it in the fridge for at least 4 hours but up to 12. If you remember, flip over once during marinating. (When doing marinades, remember chunks are better. So many marinade recipes I see want the garlic or onions minced. Don't do this!. Little pieces of things burn on a grill and 'garlic-'n'-onion char' covering the surface of your meat won't taste very good. Since the purpose of a marinade is to flavor the meat (through an extended bath in liquid goodness), and not put flavor on the meat (like with a seasoning rub) just chunk everything up so you can pull it right out of the marinade and toss it on the grill. I don't know about you, but I don't like wiping raw meat.)
Sauce
1/2 c. course-grained mustard (sometimes called stone-ground)
1/4 c. water
1/2 c. heavy cream
1/4 c. olive oil
4 tsp. sugar
1/2 c. fresh dill, chopped
Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl, cover and let sit in the fridge for an hour or two. If you want to use dry dill, reduce the amount to 3 Tbs and make sure to mix it up at least 4 hours before service so the dill can reconstitute and get to flavoring the sauce. The sauce should be served at room temperature.
Take the chicken out of the fride about 20 minutes before you're ready to grill so it can warm up to room temperature. When you're ready to go, pull the marinated chicken out and throw it on a hot grill. I'd give you a time (4 minutes per side on a 500 degree grill) but unless you have an infrared thermometer to tell you how hot your grill actually is, it won't be accurate. So, cook it until it's done. How about that? Serve immediately with sauce spooned over the top. Then have some more for dessert!
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