Basil Marinated Grilled Chicken

I promised you the recipes from the dishes I created for the Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24 event last weekend, so here goes the first one. In order to make the succulent chicken breasts, start by creating a basil marinade. This is similar to a basil pesto, but without the pine nuts and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. I always like to use a food processor for things like this, and I start by whirling the garlic around to mince it finely first. Next, I added the fresh basil leaves to the food processor and let it rip just long enough to get a rough chop on everything. Then with the lid on and the blade running, I drizzled in olive oil until the texture I wanted was achieved – like a thin ketchup consistency. Add salt and this point and whirl it for a second to combine, then pour the marinade over boneless chicken breasts in a baking dish. Toss everything so that they are coated on all sides evenly then cover and refrigerate for about 4 hours. Grill over medium high heat until nice grill marks appear and then turn them over to cook on the other side. So your not slaving over the grill for a party, I pulled them off before they were completely cooked through, covered them with foil, and popped them into a 300 degree oven to hold (finish cooking) until we ate. If you are going to eat them directly from the grill, cook until the juices run clear and let rest 5 minutes under foil before serving.