A Peach of a Recipe (Berkshire Eagle Column)

Q: How many forms of the same ingredient can I use in a single recipe?

A: My most recent Berkshire Eagle column uses peach yogurt as the base of a marinade for chicken, peach jam to make a glaze, and grilled peach halves as garnish (although this last part is optional if you want to make things easier).

This was so delicious, I am guessing that it would work equally well with other flavors of yogurt and jam, such as apricot or cherry.

PEACHY KEEN

by Elizabeth Baer

There are many reasons why my husband and I are a good match. Among the more mundane is that for chicken, he prefers white meat while I prefer dark. This makes it quite convenient for us to buy a whole chicken, which is more economical. And whether we cook it whole or spatchcocked or in pieces, we are never fighting over the same parts, and everything gets eaten! I am also partial to cooking bone-in chicken because I believe it stays more moist.

When grilling, however, sometimes it’s just easier not to worry about bones and whether the chicken is cooked through, but so often grilling dries out the meat. I decided to try a yogurt marinade to help add some tenderness and juiciness, and to make things even easier I bought peach yogurt to give some added flavor without mixing it myself (which, of course, would be easy enough). A bit of salt, garlic powder (easier for this than fresh garlic), and smoked paprika, and the marinade was ready. Some peach jam served as the base for a glaze with a bit of ketchup and hot sauce, and I am sure barbecue sauce would work equally well.

If you have any chicken left, save it for sandwiches, or cut into small pieces and make chicken salad with mayonnaise and a bit of curry powder which will be great with the fruit flavor.

PEACH YOGURT-MARINATED GRILLED CHICKEN

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 five-ounce containers peach yogurt, preferably without artificial sweeteners

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• ½ teaspoon garlic powder or granulated garlic

• ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 2-2½ pounds (or the equivalent in boneless thighs)

• ¼ cup peach jam or preserves

• 2 tablespoons ketchup

• ½ teaspoon hot sauce, or more to taste (optional)

• 2 peaches, preferably room temperature

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• Vanilla sugar or granulated sugar for sprinkling

DIRECTIONS:

Empty the peach yogurt into a gallon size plastic zipper bag and rest the bag in a bowl in case of leaks. (Alternatively, you can certainly also use plain yogurt and add some peach jam or preserves; if so, you may want to add a teaspoon of honey or maple syrup. Add the salt, garlic powder, and smoked paprika (if using) and stir to combine. Add the chicken breasts, press out most of the air, close the bag, and massage so that the yogurt mixture coats all the chicken pieces. (If you do not want to use a plastic bag, you can simply stir the yogurt mixture in a bowl, place the chicken in it, and toss to coat thoroughly. If you do this, be sure to toss the chicken around several times as it marinates.) Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, or up to 10 hours.

When you are ready to grill the chicken, make the glaze by combining the peach jam, ketchup, and hot sauce, if using. Mix well and set aside.

Cut the peaches in half and remove the pit. Place in a small container and drizzle the olive oil on the cut sides. Sprinkle with vanilla or regular sugar.

About 45 minutes before you begin to grill, take the chicken out of the refrigerator so it is not so cold when it goes on the grill. Preheat the grill to high, and then allow to reduce to about medium-high. Place the peaches cut side down on the grill and cook for 2-3 minutes until there are nice grill marks and the peaches release easily from the grill. Set aside.

Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade and scrape off excess. (It’s fine if some of the yogurt remains on the chicken.) Place the chicken breasts on the grill, if possible, positioning the thinner ends over the part of the grill that is less hot. Cook the chicken breasts about 4-5 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. This can vary depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts. (If using boneless thighs, reduce cooking time to about 3-4 minutes per side.)

When about 2 minutes remain in the cooking time, spoon the glaze on top and spread evenly. Reserve any remaining glaze.

Remove the chicken from the grill and serve each piece with a piece of grilled peach, with the extra sauce on the table.