Lemon Head...

Now that we are headed into the back stretch of August, fall is coming up just around the corner. For us, that means that our days for grilling are numbered, so it is time to squeeze in a few more weeknight cookouts before it gets too chilly to cook outdoors. Considering that I didn't really enjoy grilled food when we bought our Weber two months ago, it's surprising how well I've taken to it. I think it helps to be in control of the grilling process, so that the food gets a nice smoky flavor without becoming charred and blackened, like so much grilled food seems to be.

My Pinterest board has filled up with recipes for the grill that I never thought I'd be drawn to, but for tonight, I opted for a citrus and rosemary flavored chicken dish, because there was a good deal on lemons at the grocery store this week.Though I've never been a fan of regular lemon chicken, or lemon in general, I thought that this dish might be a better option because it tempered the tartness of lemon with the addition of orange juice.

I turned out to be partially correct. While the orange blunted the sourness of the lemon, and added a pleasant complexity to the dish, the predominant flavor was still lemon. Still, it was different enough that I really rather enjoyed the meal. The thought of cooking and reducing the leftover marinade into a sauce was rather unnerving for me, as I was paranoid about all the bacteria from the raw chicken, despite the fact that I was to boil it for an extended period of time. Neither Justin or I have food poisoning yet, but it's hard to ignore all the years of food safety indoctrination telling one to dispose of anything that has touched raw chicken.

This meal will definitely be gracing our table again when grilling season rolls around once more, but with one exception. The original recipe called for grilling up two sliced oranges and two sliced lemons, with the intent of squeezing them over the chicken at mealtime. While the gently charred citrus wedges looked beautiful on the platter, the chicken already had a sauce, and squeezing more citrus over it was overkill that doused the plate and made everything else on it soggy. We ended up not using them beyond the first portion, and now we've got a ton of leftover grilled citrus for which we have no other use. I hate wasting food, so I'm going to omit that step in the future unless I want to wow some house guests with an impressive and beautiful food display.

Grilled Citrus Chicken Breasts
adapted from Bon Appétit

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more for brushing
1 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons kosher salt plus more for seasoning
2 1/2–3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded gently to even thickness

Whisk 2 tablespoons oil and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl; stir in 2 teaspoons salt. Add chicken breasts; turn chicken to coat, cover, and chill overnight.

Build a medium-low fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to medium. Remove chicken breasts from marinade; set marinade aside. Place chicken breasts on grill. Cover and grill, moving chicken to different spots on the rack for even cooking but without turning, until slightly charred and cooked through, about 165 degrees.

Meanwhile, bring marinade to a boil in a small saucepan and cook until reduced to glaze consistency (about 1/3 cup); season with salt. Transfer chicken to a platter and spoon glaze over chicken.