Ess, Ess/ Eat, Eat!
This dish is all about the sweet heat --- and a a little kick
Enzymes in the fresh pineapple help tenderize the chicken breasts in only 15 minutes.
Be sure to take them out of the marinade after the 15 minutes is up to prevent the meat from breaking down.
To save time, you can use pre-cut pineapple.
Spicy-Sweet Grilled Chicken & Pineapple with Avocado
TOTAL TIME: 1 hour, 10 minutes
MAKES: 6 portions
•
1 large fresh pineapple (about 3 pounds)• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 (7-ounce) can chipotles in adobo sauce, divided
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 4 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 2 ripe avocados, cut into wedges
1. Peel and core pineapple. Cut the pineapple flesh into planks about 1 inch thick and 3 inches long to yield about 2 cups. Place the sliced pineapple, oil and 1 tablespoon adobo in a medium bowl; toss until combined.
2. Finely chop more pineapple to yield about 1/4 cup. Transfer the chopped pineapple to a large bowl along with any accumulated juices. (Reserve remaining pineapple for another use.)
3. Finely chop 2 to 3 chipotles to yield roughly 2 tablespoons; add to the large bowl with the chopped pineapple. Whisk in honey and 1/4 cup adobo. (Reserve remaining chipotles and adobo for another use.) Add chicken; toss to coat. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.
4. Preheat grill to high (450 F to 500 F). Remove the pineapple planks from the marinade; place on oiled grates (reserve remaining marinade). Grill, uncovered, turning once, until charred and tender, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a large platter.
5. Remove the chicken from the marinade; sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon salt (discard chicken marinade). Grill the chicken on oiled grates, uncovered and turning once, until the outside is caramelized and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest portion registers 165 F, 6 to 8 minutes per side. Brush the tops of the breasts with the reserved pineapple marinade; grill for 1 minute more. Transfer to the platter with the pineapple.
6. Serve the chicken breasts whole or sliced with the grilled pineapple and fresh avocado. Season everything evenly with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt before serving. Combining espresso with lemonade may seem counterintuitive but results in a sublime, refreshing drink that might become your summer go-to. With sweet-tart notes from the lemon and sugar, and the pleasant, offsetting bitterness of the espresso, the drink is ripe for customization: Add more or less espresso or lemonade; top it off with carbonated water; or slap a sprig of fresh rosemary between your palms to release the oils and add to the drink for an herbaceous note.
(COMMENT, BELOW)

Contact The Editor
Articles By This Author