Spicy Vanilla Chicken
Serves 4 / “Vanilla” may be shorthand for ordinary or dull, but that’s because we need to rethink how we use it. Taste this spice out of context, and its true character blossoms. Vanilla is the fruit of a jungle orchid, and that’s the exotic flower you taste in this spicy, fruity chicken glaze, enlivened with tropical fruit.
Nonstick cooking spray
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 6 ounces each)
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 cup mango or peach salsa
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1. Spray grill rack with cooking spray and preheat grill or broiler. Spray chicken breasts with oil, and season with lemon pepper.
2. Grill chicken 2–3 inches from a high flame, about 4 minutes per side.
3. Meanwhile, combine salsa, vanilla extract, and hot pepper sauce. Spoon half of salsa mixture on top of chicken and grill 2 minutes more, or until chicken is no longer pink in the center. Serve with remaining salsa mixture.
Recipe adapted and reprinted with permission from Almost From Scratch by Andrew Schloss (Simon & Schuster, 2003).