The Perfect Picnic Menu: Grilled Chicken with Red Onion Jam

Saveur


When I visit my family in Las Vegas, my favorite thing to do is pack up a cooler of sandwiches and hit the road for a picnic. We love to visit Red Rock Canyon in Nevada, but there are many majestic parks to choose from all over the Southwest. No matter where you lay out your picnic blanket, this menu, featuring grilled chicken with red onion jam and a spread of salads that travel well, is perfect to enjoy while you bask in the sun. -Kellie Evans, SAVEUR Kitchen Director

The Menu


RELATED: Easy Chicken Wing Recipes »


Cucumber LimeadeINGREDIENTS
1 cup fresh lime juice (about 7 limes)
1 cup sugar
Zest of 3 limes (about 1 ½ T)
¼ cup mint leaves
1 1-liter bottle lemon/lime seltzer, chilled
1 medium cucumber, thinly sliced

INSTRUCTIONS
Place juice, sugar, zest, and 2 cups water in a 2-qt saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and stir until sugar is dissolved, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat, add mint leaves, and let sit for 30 minutes. Pour through a fine strainer into a 1-qt. pitcher, stir in cucumber slices, and chill. Add entire bottle of seltzer to pitcher and serve immediately over ice.

RELATED:Home-Baked Cookies »



Grilled Chicken with Red Onion Jam SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS
FOR THE CHICKEN:
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup minced parsley
¼ cup minced basil
2 tbsp. minced rosemary
2 tbsp. minced thyme
1 tsp. crushed red chile flakes
4 cloves garlic, minced
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to ¼" thickness, halved

FOR THE RED ONION JAM:
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 large red onions, sliced thin
¾ cup dry red wine
½ cup sherry vinegar
½ cup sugar
¼ cup black raspberry liqueur, such as Chambord
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Make the chicken: Mix oil, parsley, basil, rosemary, thyme, chile flakes, garlic, and lemon juice and zest in a gallon-size resealable plastic bag; add chicken. Seal bag, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (or overnight).

2. Meanwhile, make the jam: Heat butter in a 12″ skillet over medium heat. Add onions; cook, stirring, until soft but not browned, about 15 minutes. Add wine, vinegar, sugar, liqueur, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring, until thick, about 40 minutes; let jam cool.

3. Build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill to medium-high. (Alternatively, heat broiler to high.) Working in batches, grill chicken, turning once, until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Serve with jam.

RELATED: French Toast, Waffles, and Pancakes »

Tips for Picnicking Like a Pro

  • Set the mood for your picnic by playing Kellie's Canyon Picnic Playlist.

  • Everything on this menu can be made up to a day in advance, and transported in a cooler. Beware the food danger zone-especially for things like mayonnaise-based potato salad-by using common sense: Bring it chilled, eat it chilled. In lieu of ice packs, which take up unnecessary space, you can freeze water bottles and then drink them as the ice melts.

  • After your relaxing day in the sun, you're not going to want to do dishes. Resealable plastic bags of all sizes (gallon, quart and sandwich) and biodegradable tableware like these sets from Branch make transport and cleanup simple.

  • Bring a cushy picnic blanket, especially if you choose to set up on rock like we did at our Canyon River picnic. You can use something you have on hand, or one made specifically for outdoor use, like this water-resistant version. And when the sun goes down, so does the temperature; bring a jacket!

  • For beautiful cupcakes that won't get smushed on the trip, don't frost them before you transport; instead, bring the frosting along in a resealable plastic bag. When you're ready to eat them, simply snip off one corner to make an impromptu piping bag.

  • For a comical, behind-the-scenes look at River Canyon Picnic from SAVEUR Issue #146, see Kellie's story on the Canyon River photo shoot »

MORE FROM SAVEUR.COM: