Ingredients

  • 1 lemon, zested and 1/2 juiced
  • 4 cloves garlic, grated, divided
  • 5 to 6 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
  • 1 tablespoon thyme leaves, chopped
  • 4 6- to 8-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 ears corn, kernels cut from the cob
  • 2 small or 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise, seeded and diced
  • 1 bunch scallions, whites sliced and greens reserved for another use
  • 1 small red chile pepper, such as Fresno, seeded and finely chopped or about 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup loosely packed fresh herbs, such as mint, parsley, tarragon or basil, chopped
  • 4 cups baby arugula
  • A chunk of Pecorino pepato (Pecorino with black peppercorns), shaved into curls with a vegetable peeler, for garnish

Yield

Serves: 4

Preparation

In a shallow dish, combine the lemon zest and juice with half of the garlic, 3 to 4 tablespoons of the EVOO and the thyme.
 
Preheat an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan to medium-high.
 
Butterfly the chicken pieces: Open them up like a book by cutting into them horizontally without going all the way through. Once butterflied, pound the meat into thin cutlets; season with salt and pepper. Turn them in the lemon-thyme marinade. Let stand.
 
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons EVOO, 1 turn of the pan, over medium-high. Add the corn and lightly brown, 3-5 minutes. Add the zucchini, scallion whites, chile pepper and the remaining garlic to the corn; season with salt and pepper. Cook to soften, 3-4 minutes. Add the butter and stir to melt, creating a creamy sauce. Remove the zucchini-corn sauce from the heat and toss in the tomatoes and herbs.
 
Grill the chicken 3-4 minutes on each side then transfer to plates.
 
Top each chicken cutlet with a cup of the baby arugula and some of the warm zucchini-corn sauce. Top with the Pecorino pepato curls.