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Marinade Your Way From 'Bland To Boast-Worthy' Grilled Chicken

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By JILL WENDHOLT SILVA McClatchy Newspapers

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 16, 2008

Serious grillers usually steer clear of skinless, boneless chicken breasts. They know high heat tends to dry out the meat.

"They're almost pure protein, so there's nothing to keep them moist," says Steven Raichlen, author of "The Barbecue! Bible" (Workman, $22.95), which has sold a million copies in the last decade.

But marinades are the culinary equivalent of slathering high-SPF lotion on winter-white skin. Using a marinade that contains at least 25 percent olive oil or vegetable oil is one of Raichlen's seven smart tips designed to turn chicken breasts from "bland to boast-worthy."

This Spicy Chicken with Caribbean Salsa hedges its bets and adds a melange of fruits and vegetables to the finished chicken breast. The addition of a tasty salsa ups your servings of fruits and vegetables while adding texture, flavor and moisture to grilled meat.

Shopping tip: Many salt-free seasoning blends are on the market. For testing purposes, we used Mrs. Dash extra-spicy salt-free seasoning blend.

Cooking tips: To get great grill marks, place chicken breast on grill grate or grill pan and allow it to sear. With tongs, rotate breast a quarter turn to crisscross. Flip and repeat on the other side.

Blanching fresh corn means partly cooking the corn in boiling water, then submerging it in ice water to set the color and increase the flavor. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prepare a bowl of ice water and set it nearby. Remove husk and silks from fresh corn. Place the corn in the boiling water, cook 1 to 2 minutes, then immediately transfer to the ice water. Once cool, dry and cut kernels from the cob.

To easily do this, trim the tip from the cob so it stands flat. Hold the stem end of the cob and place it upright on a plate. Use a sharp knife and cut downward. Generally, 1 ear of corn yields about 1/2 cup (or a little more) of kernels, depending on the size of the ear. If desired, substitute 1 cup frozen whole kernel corn, thawed, for the fresh blanched corn.
SPICY GRILLED CHICKEN WITH CARIBBEAN SALSA

Makes 6 servings

Caribbean salsa:

1 medium mango, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 cup fresh blanched corn (See cooking tips)

1/2 red pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/3 cup diced red onion

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

3 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons honey

1/4 teaspoon extra-spicy salt-free seasoning blend

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1 avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Spicy grilled chicken:

3 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 to 1 teaspoon extra-spicy salt-free seasoning blend

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

For the salsa: Place mango, corn, pepper, onion and cilantro in a medium bowl. In a small bowl combine juices, honey and seasonings. Whisk to blend well. Pour juice mixture over mango mixture and let stand at room temperature while chicken cooks. Before serving, toss avocado into salsa.

For the chicken: Combine orange juice, lemon juice and olive oil in a ziptop bag. Add chicken; refrigerate 30 minutes.

Preheat grill or allow coals to burn to white ash. Drain chicken (discard marinade) and grill over medium-high direct heat 9 to 12 minutes, until fully cooked and meat thermometer registers 170 degrees, turning midway through cooking. Top grilled chicken with Caribbean salsa.

Per serving: 270 calories (30 percent from fat), 9 grams total fat (2 grams saturated), 66 milligrams cholesterol, 20 grams carbohydrates, 28 grams protein, 81 milligrams sodium, 3 grams dietary fiber.

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