Someone very wise once said that "Cooking is like love. Enter into it with abandon, or not at all". That "someone" was none other than the legendary Julia Child.
Now That it something I can totally relate to.
Little did we know in our innocence of love that our romance would cause such a flurry with our parents! Well, very little with my parents to be honest..But man... the drama that unfolded on the other side was nothing short of a movie.
Thankfully those days are in the past. But as an outcome and to make peace with our inter-regional marriage, I started doing a lot more world cuisine rather than sticking to the staple meals of my childhood..or resorting to please him with his mom's food.
Heck.No.
This was our marriage..and just like we didn't care about regions or castes, we don't care about the origin of the dish either. Well I do..that is, the blogger in me loves to know the history and how that dish came about, but as a diner,all I want is my food should taste good..nah...delicious is what I always aim for!!
With this easy chicken dish you will be certainly getting delicious, but oh so much more than that.
Its a very simple, straight forward grilled chicken recipe..but what makes it special is the Argentinian Chimichurri sauce along with the twice baked mashed potatoes.
It simply makes for a fabulous meal.
The chicken is rubbed with a mix of spices..left to marinade for a few hours( like me, you can do this in the morning, and simply heat up the grill when you are back from work and serving dinner), Grilled to perfection..what you will get is perfectly cooked, succulent tender and very flavorful chickn breasts(which is tougher than it sounds)...Pair it with some of the intensely herby,tangy and zesty chimichurri, some creamy mash and I am all set to go to food heaven!
I serve it with the chicken platter, a nice and light salad and some toasted garlic bread. Simple and fabulous.
This is what my favourite meal looks like.
Take a load of that!!
Yowza!!!! Look at that Chicken!!!
As for the sauce, well its the Argentinian version of our basic "dhania pudina chutney"with a little twist...Do give it a shot..and the potato mash is a must. Do not skip it or you will live to regret it. Just listen to me..and you will be one happy clappy gal ;)
A happy clappy,
S ;)
Ingredients:
For the Spice Rub:- 1 1/2 tbsp paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 1/2tsp ground mustard
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic salt
For the Chimichurri Sauce
- 6tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- lemon juice from 1 lemon
- garlic clove 6-7
- shallot ,peeled and chopped 1
- salt 1/2 tsp
- black pepper powder 1/4 tsp
- red chillie flakes 1/4 tsp
- 1 cup fresh coriander
- 1/2 cup fresh mint
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley
For the chicken:
- 3 chicken breasts, pounded till evenly thick
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Method:
For the chicken:- Start by mixing everything under the spice rub.
- Clean and completely dry the chicken using kitchen towels( obv clean ones)
- Drizzle the chicken with 2 tbsp olive oil and rub all over.
- Sprinkle the spice rub on the chicken and pat down with your hands making sure it coats the chicken well,all over.
- Set aside while you get the sauce and the mash done.
For the sauce:
- Combine all the ingredients for the sauce and blend until smooth. You might need to add the herbs in batches to make sure its smooth.
- Taste, adjust,cover and chill till ready to serve.
To grill :
- Preheat the oven to 250C.
- Oil the grate well..Use a tissue to make sure the grate is well oiled.
- Place the chicken on the grate and grill it for 5 mins.
- Reduce temperature to 180C .
- Turn the chicken and grill for a further 4 mins.
- Remove, transfer to a plate, tent with foil and let it rest for ten minutes.
- Serve hot with the sauce and mash on the side.
For the Potato Mash:
- Boiled potatoes- 4-5 medium ones
- Cheese grated - reg melting cheese 2 cubes
- Fresh cream - 100 ml
- Warm milk- 1/4 - 1/2 cup
- Garlic cloves 4-5 (acc to taste)
- Garlic/ regular butter 1tbsp
- Seasonings:
- Salt, pepper, mix italian herbs, red chillie flakes all as per personal preference
How to:
- Use a masher to completely mash the boiled and peeled potatoes.
- Add the warm milk and cream to it and mash further.
- Add the cheese,garlic cloves and mash till smooth and creamy. It should not be dry. If it looks dry, add more of cream or milk(I add cream)
- Add the seasonings..give it a taste, adjust(typical needs salt or heat)
- Transfer to a shallow baking dish...
- Dust the top of it with some more herbs , cut up cubes of butter.
- Bake at 180C for 11-12 mins.
Variation:
You can add cilantro, mashed peas, Mushrooms, Onions and even pesto to this mash for a change in your basic mash.
As a special thanks to Angie for hosting these amazing weekly potlucks,I am bringing this easy and quick chicken recipe ..This right here, is a Godsend for all working moms like me.. Hope to see you all with awesome stuff as always! www.thenoviegardener.wordpress.com