Grilled chicken inspired by a recipe from the South of France
With a simple mustard-yogurt marinade
Last week, I went to New York City to see The Lion King and a friend visiting from the West coast. I can only describe the whole experience as life-affirming.
It was a reminder that, yes, I should occasionally take the day off to do something special, even when it feels like there’s too much to do. And spending a little more money than is comfortable on joyful experiences that support incredible talent is ok.
My friend stayed in the home of our former boss, who was out of town at the time. I spent a few minutes perusing her massive cookbook collection, as I used to do when I lived nearby.
One cookbook spine caught my eye: Chez Nous by Lydie Marshall. I pulled it off the shelf to see the subtitle, Home Cooking From the South of France, and the dreamy illustration evoking people sharing a meal under a tree canopy.
Like many cookbooks from the 1990s (and before), this one has no photos. Sometimes, I prefer these books because they force me to slow down to read the recipes and imagine myself cooking them.
When I returned home, I ordered a copy of Chez Nous and, within days, was browsing through it over coffee.
No surprise, most of the recipes are quite simple. They focus on a fresh ingredient or two, seasoned with herbs or perhaps paired with a little cheese or cream.
Finding some of the ingredients might be the most challenging part of some of the recipes. For example, Lydie includes a number of recipes for game birds or less popular cuts of meat that would require special requests to a butcher.
But books like this are also gold mines for weeknight cooking ideas.
For example, she includes a recipe for Chicken with Yogurt and Mustard, calling it the easiest recipe she knows. In her version, she bakes the bone-in chicken pieces that have been soaking in a yogurt and mustard marinade and then blends the curdled sauce to smooth it out once it’s done.
The dish sounds lovely but like one I’m more apt to cook in the fall when I’m ready to turn on the oven again.
I thought — this might work well as a grilled dish, with some of the marinade set aside to serve as a sauce for the chicken and some grilled zucchini.
And I was right.
At its most elemental, the marinade is simply plain yogurt with Dijon mustard. Lydie also adds fresh thyme to the marinade. I used a mix of thyme, summer savory, and marjoram from my herb garden.
I could see going in a more Eastern Mediterranean direction by adding a little toasted cumin and coriander and maybe some turmeric for color. Or some fennel seeds or dried herbes de Provence. I predict I’ll be playing with this combo for some time to come!
Grilled Chicken and Vegetables with Yogurt and Mustard
Serves 4
I grilled small zucchini and garlic scapes, which are what I found at the market this week. Feel free to try this with whatever grilled veggies you like!
If you don’t have a grill or grill pan, you could use a broiler. I usually broil food by setting it on a rack over a lined baking sheet and broiling about 4 inches from the heat. You’ll have to play around with the timing since I didn’t test the recipe this way.
1 ½ cups whole milk, plain yogurt
⅓ cup Dijon mustard
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh herb leaves, such as thyme, marjoram, summer savory, tarragon, chopped chives (or a blend)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for the grill
Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 ½ to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
6 small zucchini (about 5 inches long each)
¼ pound garlic scapes (about 6 scapes) (optional)
Make the marinade/sauce
In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mustard, herbs, 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon sea salt, and a few grinds of pepper.
Pour about three quarters of the marinade into a smaller serving bowl and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve.
Add the chicken to the large bowl and toss with the remaining marinade. Let it hang out while you grill the vegetables or you can refrigerate it for up to 8 hours. (The yogurt will act as a tenderizer for the meat.)
Prep and grill the vegetables
Light a grill or preheat a grill pan over medium high heat.
Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise. Trim any browned or tough pieces from the garlic scapes.
In a large bowl, toss the zucchini with 1 tablespoon olive oil and ¼ teaspoon salt.
Using a paper towel coated in some oil, rub the grill grates with oil. (Hold the paper towel with tongs.)
Grill the zucchini cut side down until grill marks form, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until the zucchini are just tender, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer to a serving platter.
In the same bowl used for the zucchini, toss the garlic scapes with another 1 tablespoon olive oil and a couple pinches of salt. Spread out the scapes on the grill and use tongs to move them around frequently. Grill them until blistered in spots and crisp tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer to the platter.
Grill the chicken
Oil the grill grates again.
Remove the chicken from the marinade, allowing any excess to drip back into the bowl.
Grill the chicken skinned side down until grill marks form, about 4 minutes. (Reduce the heat to medium if you’re getting any flare-ups or if the chicken seems like it’s burning.) Flip and grill until the chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes longer.
Transfer the chicken to the platter and serve with the vegetables and reserved sauce.
The short version
Whisk the yogurt, mustard, herbs, 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon sea salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Set aside three-quarters for serving and marinate the chicken in the rest.
Cut the zucchini in half and trim the garlic scapes, then toss with oil and salt and grill them.
Grill the chicken and serve with the vegetables and sauce.
Fun for kids
Pick herbs.
Whisk together the marinade.
Toss the veggies with oil and salt.
Swaps
Instead of boneless, skinless chicken thighs, use thin-cut chicken breasts or chicken tenders.
If you can’t find small zucchini, use medium-sized and cut into ½-inch-thick slabs.
Play around with the herb mix or if you don’t have fresh herbs, use ½ to 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
If you only have Greek yogurt, use a bit less and thin it out with a little water.
Bonus points
The garlic scapes add a welcome garlicky flavor to the dish, but if you’re not using them, you could add a little garlic powder or grated fresh garlic to the marinade/sauce.
The marinade is pretty punchy as-is but you could add a little lemon juice or squeeze some lemon juice over the chicken and vegetables after they’re grilled.
To bulk it out, serve with some rice or grilled bread.