Blackberry Blackened Chicken with Blackberry Relish

Minimalist farm-to-table recipes created with local fresh produce paired with homemade infused oils, dressings, marinades, pestos and sauces.  By eating seasonally, we reap the benefits of good health through nutrition from fresh, unprocessed and sustainable produce.
This recipe features local produce from 9 Bean Rows Farm, Birch Point Farms, Miller's Farm, Spring Hollow Farm and locally produced products from Black Star Farms and Food for Thought.

Learn more about cooking and eating locally in Kristin's blog The Intentional Minimalist.

See this recipe featured in the article Grill Til Snowfall with Blackberry Blackened Chicken.

Ingredients

  • Local blackberry shiraz preserves Local verjus
  • Sea salt
  • Farm fresh local chicken breasts
  • Local olive oil
  • Smoked paprika
  • Cayenne pepper
  • White pepper
  • Black pepper
  • Farm fresh local shallot
  • Farm fresh local green tomato
  • Farm fresh local cucumber
  • Farm fresh local lemon cucumber
  • Farm fresh local celeriac
  • Farm fresh local cusa squash
  • Local maple syrup
  • Farm fresh local mint leaves
  • Farm fresh local green cabbage Farm fresh local purple cabbage

Directions

Blackberry Brine Directions For two chicken breasts, mix two cups warm water in a large glass mixing bowl with one half cup blackberry shiraz preserves, one quarter cup verjus and two heaping tablespoons sea salt. Stir well until salt and preserves dissolve. Wash and dry chicken breasts and place in a zip-lock bag. Pour brine into zip-lock bag, close tightly and place on a plate in the refrigerator for two hours. Turn zip-lock bag over on the plate and place back in the refrigerator for an additional two hours. Blackberry Rub Directions Add two tablespoons blackberry shiraz preserves to a glass bowl with two teaspoons olive oil, two teaspoons verjus, two teaspoons smoked paprika, two teaspoons cayenne pepper, two teaspoons white pepper and two teaspoon black pepper. Stir well and let blackberry rub rest at room temperature. Blackberry Relish Directions Remove ends and skins from shallot. Finely chop one quarter cup shallot and place in a large glass mixing bowl. Wash a dry one green tomato, cucumber, lemon cucumber, celeriac and cusa squash. Chop one half cup green tomato, one half cup cucumber, one half cup lemon cucumber, one half cup celeriac, one half cup cusa squash and add to the glass bowl. In a glass jar, stir in two tablespoons blackberry shiraz preserves with two tablespoons verjus, one tablespoon maple syrup, one half teaspoon smoked paprika and one half teaspoon sea salt. Pour dressing over blackberry relish and lest rest for five minutes. Remove one quarter cup mint leaves from stems, wash and dry mint leaves and mince one quarter cup mince mint leaves. Stir in minced mint leaves to blackberry relish just before serving. Blackberry Blackened Chicken Directions Preheat grill to medium high heat. Remove chicken breasts from brine, rinse chicken breasts with water and dry chicken breasts with a paper towel. Rub one tablespoon of blackberry rub on each side of chicken breasts.   Grill chicken breasts on medium heat covered for five minutes. Gently flip chicken breasts over and grill on medium heat covered for an additional five minutes. Gently flip chicken breasts over and grill on medium low heat uncovered for three minutes. Gently flip chicken breasts over and grill on medium low heat uncovered for an additional three minutes. Check chicken breasts for doneness by inserting a meat thermometer in the center of the breast for an  internal temperature of 160 degrees. Remove chicken breasts from grill and let rest for five minutes. Note: internal temperature of chicken breasts will rise to 165 degrees while resting. Remove green cabbage spines, chiffonade one cup green cabbage and place in a glass mixing bowl. Remove purple cabbage spines, chiffonade one cup purple cabbage and add to bowl. Mix green and purple cabbage together. Plate one cup cabbage mixture, top with blackberry blackened chicken breast and one cup blackberry relish.

Photo(s) by Kristin Celeste Shroeger