Ingredients
  • 4 6- to 8-ounce pieces chicken breast, butterflied then pounded very thin (an 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick)
  • Olive oil, for drizzling plus 1 tablespoon
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • 1 teaspoon granulated onion
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seed
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 1/2 pints grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
  • A fat handful of basil leaves
  • 1 pound ball fresh mozzarella, very thinly sliced or shredded using a fat-toothed box grater
Yield
Serves: 4
Preparation

Drizzle chicken with oil in a shallow dish and season with salt, pepper, granulated garlic and onion, fennel seed, red pepper and thyme. Marinate a few minutes

Preheat a large griddle pan or grill pan over medium high heat. Preheat broiler as well.

 
Heat a skillet with a lid over medium-high heat with a tablespoon of olive oil, a turn of the pan. Add sliced garlic and stir a minute; add tomatoes and season with salt. Cover pan to trap heat and cook to soften tomatoes for 8-10 minutes, shaking pan occasionally. Add basil to sauce and stir to wilt.
 
Grill or griddle-cook the chicken a few minutes on each side then transfer to baking sheets. Top chicken with sauce and then mozzarella cheese, as if it were a small pizza.  Broil to brown and melt cheese.