Recipes Poultry Summer Favorites Veggies

Grilled Chicken Cutlets with Zucchini, Corn and Cherry Tomato Sauce

Serves 4

Gather summer’s bounty to top lemon and thyme-marinated grilled chicken. Finish with curls of Pecorino Pepato cheese.

Ingredients

1 lemon, zested and 1/2 juiced
4 cloves garlic, grated
5-6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided
1 tablespoon thyme leaves, chopped
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6-8 ounces each)
Salt and pepper
2 ears corn, kernels cut from the cob
2 small or 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise, seeded and diced
1 bunch scallions, whites sliced and greens reserved for another use
1 small red chili pepper, such as Fresno, seeded and finely chopped, or about 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 cup loosely packed fresh herbs, such as mint, parsley, tarragon or basil, chopped
4 cups baby arugula
A chunk of Pecorino Pepato (with black peppercorns), shaved into curls with a vegetable peeler, for garnish

In a shallow dish, combine the lemon zest and juice with half of the garlic, 3-4 tablespoons of the EVOO and the thyme.
Pre-heat an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan to medium-high.
Butterfly the chicken pieces: Open them up like a book by cutting into them horizontally without going all the way through. Once butterflied, pound the meat into thin cutlets; season with salt and pepper. Turn them in the lemon-thyme marinade. Let stand.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of EVOO, one turn of the pan, over medium-high. Add the corn and lightly brown, 3-5 minutes. Add the zucchini, scallion whites, chili pepper and the remaining garlic to the corn; season. Cook to soften, 3-4 minutes. Add the butter and stir to melt, creating a creamy sauce. Remove the zucchini-corn sauce from the heat and toss with the tomatoes and herbs.
Grill the chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side, then transfer to plates.
Top each chicken cutlet with a cup of the baby arugula and some of the warm zucchini-corn sauce. Top with the Pecorino Pepato curls.