Red, White, and Blueberry Grilled Chicken
These colors don't run, but they do stain, so I recommend eating this delicious, red, white and blueberry chicken outdoors at a barbeque. Smoky, spicy meats have been paired with sweet-and-sour, fruit-based sauces since we've had cooks, so that this combo works beautifully is no big surprise. And yes, other juicy fruit like peaches, or other berries will work nicely.
INGREDIENTS :
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground dried chipotle pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
- ⅓ cup white sugar
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
DIRECTION:
- Whisk oil, salt, paprika, chipotle pepper, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and garlic in a bowl to make marinade. Place chicken breasts in marinade and turn to coat evenly. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Spread sugar in a saucepan set over medium heat. Do not stir, but watch closely as sugar begins to melt after about 1 minute. As sugar melts it will gradually turn a golden color. Continue watching but not stirring. When all sugar has melted and golden color just begins to darken a bit (after 1 minute or less), remove pan from heat. Pour in vinegar and stir until sugar dissolves.
- Place pan over medium-high heat and add blueberries to the sugar-vinegar mixture. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until blueberries soften and mixture begins to thicken, 4 or 5 minutes. It should be a syrup-like consistency. If sauce seems too thin, simmer a few more minutes. If it seems too thick, add a splash of water. Stir in salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
- Set a strainer over a bowl. Strain berries, using a spatula to push through as much juice as possible. Discard skins.
- Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate. Drain excess marinade from chicken.
- Place chicken breasts on preheated grill. Cook until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 4 minutes per side. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Transfer chicken to a plate and allow to rest a few minutes.
- Serve breasts on a swirl of blueberry sauce with more sauce drizzled on top.
