Grilled Marinated Chicken Breasts with Grilled Polenta and Fresh Tomato Relish

Grilled skinless, boneless chicken breasts are a real ally during the summer. They’re light, mild and easy to eat even on the hottest days, and if you have an outdoor grill, the heat stays out of the kitchen. An ultra-hot fire isn’t necessary, so even pre-cooking time is minimal and if you don’t have a grill, a grill pan will do, or your oven broiler. The heat will still be at a minimum because these cutlets cook so quickly -- about 3 minutes per side.

The one potential problem is that skinless, boneless chicken breasts are so lean they can dry out and toughen easily. It helps to pound the meat to a uniform thickness (1/2-inch is the standard for many recipes) so they’ll cook evenly.

Place the breast between layers of waxed paper, then use a meat mallet or a heavy pot to do the job. It takes less than a minute.

It’s important to cook skinless, boneless chicken breasts close to the fire, about 4 inches from the heat source, so the surface browns fast. Place them over direct heat and close the grill cover. The cover creates an oven-like effect that helps cook the meat internally. It also infuses it with a smoky taste and aroma.

Some people like to use a meat thermometer to be sure the chicken is thoroughly cooked. If so, the thermometer should read 160 degrees. But it’s unnecessary. You’ll find that a 1/2-inch thick chicken breast will cook in about 6-8 minutes. A small puncture with the tip of a sharp knife should release clear juices. When chicken cooks too long, no juices run and the meat is dry.

Because they have no skin and little fat, chicken breasts must be protected from scorching over the heat. You can do the simplest thing -- brush the grill with some olive oil. But a marinade works as well and provides extra flavor.

Grilled chicken breasts are fine, as is, hot off the barbecue. Serve them with a salad or vegetables and dinner is complete.

But they are also so versatile, you can do lots more. We offer a few thoughts on meals that center on grilled, marinated chicken breasts. All begin with a master recipe, then we show you how to build on the basics to create several recipes for summer dining.

We used a vinaigrette as a marinade. And because the Roma (plum) tomatoes looked especially worthy at the market, we decided to prepare bruschetta as a side dish. Bruschetta is usually is served on top of garlic toasts, but we left out the bread and spooned the dish, fragrant with fresh basil and a judicious amount of garlic and olive oil, over the hot chicken. A couple of steamed broccoli crowns to accompany the dish and dinner, Chicken Bruschetta, was complete.

We also liked the idea of using the grilled chicken breast in a sandwich. Fresh basil is widely available, making it an easy task to prepare Pesto. We mixed the dry ingredients with some bottled mayonnaise, rather than go through the task of slowly adding olive oil. We slathered some fresh, crusty Italian bread with the Pesto Mayonnaise and topped it with a grilled chicken breast. That would have been sufficient, but it was a real winner when we also included some sliced tomatoes, avocado and a couple of strips of crispy bacon.

Any basic vinaigrette will work for grilled chicken breasts. To prove that, we changed a few ingredients here and there: lemon juice and peel for the vinegar, oregano for the basil, and also added some garlic. This dish, accompanied by steamed asparagus and orzo, is tasty for dinner, but you can also use it in a Greek style salad, together with greens, feta cheese, anchovies, olives and tomatoes.

A simple vinaigrette dressing serves well as a marinade. It not only flavors the meat, it also lubricates the surface so that the flesh won’t stick to the grill or pan grids. Vinaigrette is also so basic that you can change its flavor, and thereby the chicken’s flavor, by using a different herb or type of vinegar or by adding more mustard or other flavor enhancer such as chopped bell peppers or shallots. Barbecue-type sauces are good choices too, because of their robust flavors and moisturizing capabilities.

Moistness can be a problem with skinless, boneless chicken breasts, because the meat is so lean. It’s important not to over-cook it or the breasts might become tough and dry. One way to minimize the problem is to make sure the breast is uniformly thick. That way it cooks evenly and all portions are done at the same time. It is probably worthwhile, if you prepare chicken breasts with some regularity, to buy a meat mallet. You can buy them at any gourmet specialty store or places, such as Bed, Bath and Beyond, that sell a variety of kitchen equipment. Place the chicken between layers of waxed paper, then lightly pound the breasts with the mallet to even them. If you don’t have a mallet and don’t want to invest in one, you can use a heavy pot to do the job. Pounding takes less than a minute.

White meat chicken is mild, so it partners well with lots of different seasonings, giving your tastes buds a range of options.

Preheat your grill to moderately-high and cook skinless, boneless chicken breasts close to the fire, about 4-5 inches from the heat source, so the surface browns quickly. Place them over direct heat and close the grill cover. Closing the cover will help cook the meat internally. It also infuses it with a smoky taste and aroma.

You can use a meat thermometer -- cook the chicken to an internal temperature of 160 degrees -- but it’s not really necessary to take this step. A 1/4-inch thick chicken breast will be done in about 5-6 minutes. Use the tip of a small, sharp knife to pierce the flesh if you wish. Juices will be clear.

Plain, grilled chicken breasts are fine, served plain with potato salad, cooked corn on the cob, cole slaw or another summertime specialty. You could also stuff the grilled meat inside a sandwich, serve it on top of a Caesar (or other) salad, make it into fajitas and so on. If you are looking for something dressier, say for company, consider our recipe for Grilled Marinated Chicken Breasts with Grilled Polenta and Fresh Tomato Relish. It takes a simple grilled chicken breasts one step further. You must plan ahead for this one because the polenta must be thoroughly cold and stiff before you grill it. The tomato relish takes just a few minutes to put together.