Name: Grilled Chicken Panzanella
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1½–2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts , trimmed; ⅓ cup water; 3 tablespoons fish sauce; 2 tablespoons honey; 1¼ teaspoons table salt , divided; ⅛ teaspoon plus ¼ teaspoon pepper , divided; ½ cup extra virgin olive oil; 3 tablespoons wine vinegar; 2 tablespoons minced shallot; 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard; 1 (1-pound) loaf ciabatta , halved horizontally; 3 tablespoons vegetable oil , divided; 1½ pounds tomatoes , cored and cut into ¾-inch pieces; 1 English cucumber , quartered lengthwise and sliced ¼-inch thick; 8 ounces cherry-size mozzarella balls, halved; ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, torn

Grilled Chicken Panzanella

By Annie Petito

Published on June 4, 2024

Time

1¼ hours

Yield

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

1½–2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed⅓ cup water 3 tablespoons fish sauce 2 tablespoons honey 1¼ teaspoons table salt, divided⅛ teaspoon plus ¼ teaspoon pepper, divided½ cup extra virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons wine vinegar 2 tablespoons minced shallot 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 (1-pound) loaf ciabatta, halved horizontally3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided1½ pounds tomatoes, cored and cut into ¾-inch pieces1 English cucumber, quartered lengthwise and sliced ¼-inch thick8 ounces cherry-size mozzarella balls, halved¼ cup fresh basil leaves, torn

Before You Begin

If using breasts that are larger than 8 ounces and/or more than ¾ inch thick at the thicker end, halve the breasts horizontally before pounding. If the chicken sticks when flipping, gently release it from the cooking grates by sliding tongs underneath, going with the direction of the grate. Ripe, in-season tomatoes are best here but if they are unavailable, supermarket vine-ripened tomatoes will work; plum tomatoes are too dry. Look for fresh mozzarella balls labeled “ciliegine”; if they’re unavailable, cut one 8-ounce ball of fresh mozzarella into ½-inch pieces. This recipe can be halved, but we recommend grilling the full amount of chicken, which is nice to have on hand. The panzanella can be served warm or at room temperature.

Instructions

Pound chicken gently with meat pounder until ½ inch thick. Whisk water, fish sauce, honey, 1 teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper together in small bowl. Transfer mixture to 1-gallon zipper-lock bag. Add chicken, press out air, seal bag, and turn bag so contents are evenly distributed. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

While chicken marinates, whisk olive oil, vinegar, shallot, Dijon, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper in large bowl; set aside. (Dressing can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.FOR A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high; cover; and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave all burners on high

Drizzle cut sides of bread evenly with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Remove chicken from refrigerator and open 1 corner of bag to drain and discard excess marinade. Add remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to chicken, reseal bag, and turn to evenly coat.

Clean and oil cooking grate. Place bread, cut side down, on half of grill. Place chicken, skinned side down, on other half of grill. Cook (covered if using gas) until bread is well browned and charred at edges, 2 to 4 minutes, moving as needed to ensure even browning. Cook chicken until dark grill marks develop and breasts register 160 degrees, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer bread and chicken to cutting board; let rest for at least 5 minutes.

Cut bread and chicken into ¾-inch pieces. Rewhisk dressing to combine and add bread, chicken, tomatoes, and cucumber, tossing to evenly coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to serving platter and top with mozzarella and basil. Serve.