Start Your Ovens: Rosemary Chicken

I’m having fun as I cook and eat my way through “Start Your Ovens: Cooking the Way it Ought’a Be,” the official cookbook of the Bristol Motor Speedway. It was developed by the Junior League of Bristol to showcase fantastic recipes by Junior League members, NASCAR drivers, their wives and others who have made terrific meals at BMS. In celebration of their efforts, and the 50th anniversary of BMS, I am giving away a copy of this book in a contest that ended Aug. 31, 2011.

This Grilled Rosemary Chicken recipe is exceptionally flavorful. If you have a backyard grill and a rosemary plant growing outside, you could enjoy this delicious meal for dinner tomorrow. No fresh rosemary? Stop by any grocery store – fresh herbs are commonplace.

To make Grilled Rosemary Chicken, you will need:

8 to 12 boneless skinless chicken breasts
16 ounce bottle Italian salad dressing
½ cup dry white wine
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup (rounded) packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
! teaspoon pepper

Place the chicken in a deep plastic or glass bowl or in a large sealable plastic bag. (I use both -- put the bag in a larger container to avoid any spillage.)

Combine the salad dressing, wine, soy sauce, brown sugar, rosemary, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix well. Pour over the chicken, turning to coat. Marinate, covered, in the refrigerator for 8 to 10 hours, turning occasionally.

Drain the chicken, reserving the marinade. Grill on hot coals until the chicken is cooked through, turning and basting with the reserved marinade occasionally. Yield: 8 to 12 servings.

Here’s the chicken, just getting started:

And after about 30 minutes, once it is cooked through:

I served the Grilled Rosemary Chicken with another terrific dish from “Start Your Ovens,” Broccoli Salad Supreme. It was fantastic! Happy Friday, all!