Maple-Glazed Chicken Breasts

After a good shake of pepper, this bird bounds through the northern woods. The maple glaze works well with duck breasts too, following the cooking technique outlined in Sherry-Marinated Duck Breasts ([>]).

 

SERVES 4 TO 6

 

6	large boneless, skinless individual chicken breasts, pounded ½ to ¾ inch thick
2	teaspoons fresh-ground black pepper
	Kosher salt or other coarse salt

MAPLE GLAZE

1	tablespoon vegetable oil
2	uncooked bacon slices, chopped
1	plump garlic clove, minced
3	tablespoons maple syrup
1	teaspoon Super Wooster Sauce ([>]) or other Worcestershire sauce
	Vegetable oil spray

Coat the chicken breasts with the pepper and salt to taste. Cover them and refrigerate.

Prepare the glaze, first warming the oil with the bacon over medium heat. Fry until the bacon is brown and crisp. With a slotted spoon, remove the bacon, drain it, and reserve it. Stir the garlic into the pan drippings and sauté a quick minute. Remove the skillet from the heat, stir in the maple syrup and Worcestershire sauce, and reserve the glaze.

Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to medium (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and let it sit covered at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Just before grilling, spritz the breasts with the oil.

Grill the chicken uncovered over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes per side, until opaque but still juicy. Brush with the glaze when you turn the cooked side of the chicken up, and coat the second side when it comes off the grill. If grilling covered, cook the chicken for about 10 minutes, turning once midway and glazing in a similar manner.

The breasts can be served whole, but we prefer to slice and fan them and then sprinkle the chopped bacon over the top. The presentation works particularly well when you place the chicken slices over a bed of wilted greens. Serve with butternut or acorn squash, too, if you like.

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A Breast on Every Grill

Campaigning for president in 1928, just before the Great Depression, Herbert Hoover promised voters a chicken in every pot. A politician today would have to update the rhetoric. Hardly anyone remembers now what a whole chicken looks like, much less how to cook it in a pot. All we want is a plump, tender breast, separated from the homely parts of the bird, and preferably boned and skinned so that it's ready to plop on the grill.

As passions go, it's a simple one to understand. A flat skinless breast cooks quickly and evenly, and the health authorities hype it as a great alternative to burgers, dogs, and steaks. The problem is flavor, or rather the lack of it. It's easier to find good white bread today than good supermarket chicken.

We deal with the dilemma in two ways. If we're grilling breasts for a special occasion, we shop for premium, naturally raised or kosher chicken, gradually becoming more widely available, and we usually cook it bone-in, in the manner described for the Sunny Sunday Chicken Breasts and Vinaigrette Chicken. For everyday meals, we accept the trade-off between the taste limitations of ordinary boneless breasts and their convenience for grilling. In that case, as illustrated in most of the breast recipes, we treat the chicken as a foil for other flavors, a juicy but neutral medium for a bounty of seasonings.

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