FRIDAY

Grilled Whole Chicken  |  Grilled Peaches, Figs & Dried Blueberries  |  Arugula Greens with a Mustard Vinaigrette

If you are a frequent visitor to The Dinner Concierge, you may remember our recent gift of freshly-caught salmon from our neighbor, Dave.  Well, earlier this week, Cynthia {Dave’s wife} emailed me shortly after dinner raving about a grilled chicken Dave had made that night with peaches, figs and these wonderful little nuggets…dried blueberries.  The ingredients are all favorites of ours…I adore grilled fruit and I was intrigued by the addition of dried blueberries.  Yesterday morning, as I was making coffee, Cynthia brought over a lovely package of fresh peaches and figs together with a few handfuls dried blueberries.  We chatted about the utter simplicity of the meal and the wonderfully rich flavor the grilled fruit brought to the plate…especially the dried blueberries.  I couldn’t wait to give this dish a try.

I knew that grilling the peaches and figs would caramelize the natural sugars found in the fruit producing a rich, sweet flavor.  In planning out the rest of the dinner, I wanted to be sure to balance the sweet with some tangy bite.  Cynthia mentioned that a drizzle of balsamic vinegar might  be a good addition so I prepared a balsamic reduction which we lightly drizzled on the finished chicken which had been seasoned only with sea salt and freshly ground pepper before grilling.  Peppery arugula greens were simply dressed with a drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and a dollop of homemade mustard I had finished preparing earlier in the day.  In the end, moist, tender chicken was given a flavor boost from the balsamic reduction and the sweet fruit was balanced by the sharp tang of the mustard vinaigrette covering the greens…a spectacular meal.  Thanks again Cynthia & Dave!

A few notes on preparation…

First, the mustard I used tonight was a homemade variety to which we have become addicted.  You can find the recipe here and although the preparation is extremely simple, the mustard seeds must marinate in the vinegar and spices for about 3 days, so plan accordingly.  In the photos below, the picture on the top right is of the mustard seed mixture just after adding the vinegar and spices.  The photo on the bottom left is of the mixture after sitting covered for 3 days…you can see how the seeds have absorbed some of the liquid.  The final mustard is a bit grainy with a lovely color produced from the addition of turmeric.

As the fruit and balsamic reduction come together in just a few minutes, the next item on the preparation list is the chicken.  Click here for my post on butterflying and grilling a whole chicken.  Depending on your fire, the chicken takes between 30-40 minutes and should rest for 10 minutes before carving.  The resulting meat is incredibly moist with a lovely char on the skin…

While the chicken cooks, prep the fruit.  The peaches {we used a combination of peaches and nectarines} need to be cored and quartered and the figs, stemmed and halved.

Just before the chicken comes off the grill, cook the fruit…

Grilled Peaches, Figs & Blueberries

• 5 ripe but firm peaches and/or nectarines; washed, cored and quartered
• 8 ripe but firm figs; washed, stemmed and halved
• ¾ cup dried organic blueberries
• 1 tablespoon butter

1. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.  Melt butter in skillet.
2. When the butter begins to take on a golden, slightly brown color add the peaches and figs {cut side down} to the skillet and then sprinkle the blueberries into the skillet.  Cook for approximately 2-3 minutes or until the cut sides of the fruit are slightly browned.
3. Remove skillet from heat and flip the peach and fig sections over, exposing the browned sides.  Set aside until ready to serve.

The balsamic reduction is made simply by bringing 1 cup of balsamic vinegar to a simmer and cooking, stirring frequently, until liquid has been reduced by half.  While the balsamic vinegar is simmering, toss the salad…

Arugula with Mustard Vinaigrette

• Juice from 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1-2 teaspoons whole grain mustard
•  3-4 handfuls of baby arugula, washed and thoroughly dried
• Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

1. In a large bowl whisk together first three ingredients.  Add arugula leaves and gently toss making sure all the leaves are coated with some of the dressing.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve immediately.

The finished dinner plate…