Mojito Grilled Chicken recipe is my version of a dish my mother told me about from Emeril Lagasse. She had seen him make a Mojito Fish that was pan fried and covered with a Lime Mint Beurre Blanc Sauce.
I will be honest; I had no idea what a Beurre Blanc was. I did not even know how to pronounce it! What else could I do but “Google” it, so I did. I think I sat there reading what it was, but nothing made my mouth go into that “eu” sound for the French pronunciation. A Beurre Blanc Sauce is a base sauce in French cooking. It is used as a thickener for soups and stews, as well as a base for many other dishes. I began to worry what I had got myself into! A butter sauce with Lime didn’t sound quite right to me. I already knew that lime and mint go well together since I do make Mojitos at home. The Beurre Blanc is also used in a lot of Creole cuisine, and the thought also helped relieve my worries. I would just have to try this recipe and see what came out.
However, living in the middle of a desert does not give you a lot of fish options. I looked in the freezer and it suddenly came to me – Mojito Grilled Chicken! I had to change a few details from the original recipe, like the fact you are supposed to score the skin of the fish and add sugar to that side when pan frying it, but I was fairly certain I could come up with some sort of solution. My solutions usually involve trying to make as little of a mess in the kitchen as possible, which is why the chicken is grilled.
This recipe, comments, and photos are courtesy of Cynthia Detterick-Pineda of Andrews, TX. More of Cynthia’s Southwest Recipes.
- 4 (6-ounce) chicken breasts, boneless and skinless*
- 1 tablespoon lime zest (rind), fresh
- 1/2 cup lime juice, fresh-squeezed
- 3 tablespoons good-quality white rum
- 3 firmly-packed teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
- 1 cup lime juice, fresh-squeezed (about 8 to 10 limes)
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/4 cup green onions or shallots, thinly sliced (red onions can be substituted)
- 2-inch slice of fresh lime zest (rind)
- 1/4 cup mint leaves, whole
- 1 clove of garlic, smashed
- 1/2 bay leaf (use a whole bay leaf if dried)
- 4-inch sprig of fresh thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
- 1 tablespoon chiffonade of mint or finely chopped mint leaves
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Place chicken breasts in a medium-sized sealable container or resealable plastic bag. In a small bowl whisk together the lime zest, lime juice, rum, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Pour this mixture over the chicken, seal container or plastic bag, and allow to marinate a minimum of 2 hours (overnight is best).
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Make the Lime-Mint Beurre Blanc Sauce before serving time (allow 40 minutes to make this sauce, although it may not take that long for some of you).
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Heat the Barbecue grill to medium-high heat. Place the chicken breast in the center of the grill rack and cook, turning several times, until a meat thermometer registers an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (juices will run clear when cut with the tip of a knife).
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Serve with the Lime-Mint Beurre Blanc Sauce drizzled over the top. Garnish with a slice of lime and a sprig of fresh mint.
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Makes 4 servings.
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In a 1-quart saucepan over high heat, add the lime juice, white wine, shallots or green onions, lime zest, mint leaves, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, salt and peppercorns. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally, reducing the liquid until it is almost all evaporated. This will take approximately 12 minutes or more.
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After the liquid has evaporated, add the heavy cream while still whisking. Bring the mixture back to a boil, stirring constantly, and reduce by half (approximately 1 to 2 minutes). Remove the pan from the heat source and reduce the burner to medium low (if you are using an electric stove you may need to use a different burner as the elements do not usually cool quickly). While the pan is off the burner, add a few cubes of butter and whisk constantly until the butter is melted. Return the pan to the burner so the heat can come back up. Add a few more cubes of the butter and, again, remove from the heat while you whisk it until the butter is melted. You will continue this until all the butter has been added.
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Once the butter is well incorporated, strain the sauce through a fine wire mesh and return it to the pan. Stir in the mint (chiffonade or chopped) and keep the sauce warm until ready to use. Do NOT allow the sauce to come back to a boil or it will separate.
* The U.S. Department of Agriculture, as well as food agencies in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, advises against washing poultry. Rinsing chicken will not remove or kill much bacteria, and the splashing of water around the sink can spread the bacteria found in raw chicken. Cooking poultry to 165 degrees Fahrenheit effectively destroys the most common culprits behind food-borne illness.
I get many readers asking what cooking/meat thermometer that I prefer and use in my cooking and baking. I, personally, use the Thermapen Thermometer. Originally designed for professional use, the Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is used by chefs all over the world. I only endorse a few products, on my web site, that I like and use regularly.
You can learn more or buy yours at: Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer.