If you didn’t know, the latest issue of Bon Appetit ditched food for its cover shot in favor of a big picture of Gwyneth Paltrow. A controversial move that has apparently ticked off many readers from what I’ve seen online. Personally, I wasn’t all that surprised since I knew that BA had a new editor and was clearly looking to move in a different direction, but I can’t say I was exactly excited either. I was curious though and happened to have all the ingredients on hand to try out one of her recipes, with some modifications of course.
The verdict. Pretty tasty, but definitely not mind blowing. I would definitely make this again, as it is perfect for summer patio dining and my husband loved it.
Grilled Chicken with Peach Barbecue Sauce Adapted from June 2011 Bon Appetit (Serves 3-4)
- 2 peaches *peeled and chopped (1 cup)
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh)
- 2 medium garlic gloves, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons adobo sauce from canned chipotles in adobo (or she alternately recommends 1 teaspoon of soy sauce)
- Chicken–Gwyneth used 4 boneless, skinless, organic breasts, but it was boneless, skinless thighs for us seasoned with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (My package of thighs turned out to be more of a bunch of thigh tenders in odd shapes, so this wasn’t the prettiest presentation…)
Combine the peaches, ketchup, lemon juice, garlic, and adobo sauce in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let this simmer for about ten minutes while stirring regularly. Remove from heat. Gwyneth pureed her sauce, but I decided to keep mine chunky. I lightly seasoned the sauce with salt and pepper, but it really didn’t need much.
Once the sauce has cooled, she suggests using half of it for marinating the chicken for 20 minutes at room temperature or for up to 8 hours in the refrigerator. I did mine for about 30 minutes in the fridge and then let it sit out for another 30 minutes at room temperature. (If I made this again, I’d definitely make the sauce the night before to reduce my time in the kitchen the day of grilling.)
I grilled the chicken on medium-high heat, brushing with a bit of the sauce during cooking and then served a dollop of sauce over the chicken.
The sweetness of the peaches melded beautifully with the smokiness of the chipotle, so I don’t think the soy sauce alternate is in my future.
Thanks for recipe Gwyneth. I’m still not sure how I feel about the new direction of Bon Appetit, but as a fellow home cook, I am not going to bash your culinary chops. In fact, hey, I wouldn’t mind being on the cover of BA either!
*You can easily peel peaches by making a few cuts into the skin and blanching them in boiling water for 30-40 seconds. Despite knowing this, I did a rough peeling job so I could snack on the fleshy, skin.
city food. country kitchen. 