Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad with Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients

4 small pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast
EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling plus about 1/4 cup
Juice of 2 lemons, divided
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
Salt and pepper
2 pints large Brussels sprouts, about 2 pounds
2 cloves garlic, peeled and grated or pasted plus 1 clove, crushed
About 1 1/2 teaspoons anchovy paste
About 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Grated Pecorino Romano cheese

3 tablespoons butter
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
A handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Yields: 4

Preparation

Marinate chicken in enough EVOO to coat, the juice of 1 lemon, thyme, salt and pepper. Marinate about 1/2 hour.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Using a small, sharp knife, core the Brussels sprouts and separate leaves. Salt water and add all of the baby cabbage leaves to pot – you should have at least 6 cups loosely packed. Count to 30 then drain and cold shock the leaves; drain again.

Heat a grill pan and grill the chicken about 12 minutes, turning occasionally.

Combine the juice of remaining lemon, grated or pasted garlic, anchovy paste, Worcestershire, lots of black pepper and about 1/4 cup of EVOO to a bowl and whisk to make dressing. Add a small handful of cheese once dressing is emulsified. (I add a beaten egg yolk to our dressing with the lemon juice but there is a food safety risk with this addition, of course.)

Heat butter in small skillet with crushed garlic over medium heat, add breadcrumbs and toast to golden brown. Add parsley and remove garlic.

Toss Brussels greens with dressing. Serve on plates topped with sliced grilled chicken, more cheese and buttery breadcrumbs.