Spicy Bourbon-Peach Grilled Chicken

This past week has been super busy with wedding planning and family get-togethers, so it was nice to get back into my kitchen on Sunday for a quiet, home-cooked meal. Sunday is generally my favorite day to cook, and I make a point to keep our schedule clear so that I can spend the afternoon preparing dishes (generally with ingredients I sourced from the morning's farmer's market) before lingering over a large meal and a few glasses of wine. This grilled chicken recipe starts out pretty basic, but gets a sweet and spicy kick from the bourbon-peach glaze. It's the type of relaxed, family-style cooking I love to eat (especially during the summer), and leftover sauce can be re-purposed into quick dinners for the rest of the week.


Grilled Chicken with Spicy Peach-Bourbon Glaze:
For Glaze

• Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet, add in 1/2 diced large onion, and 1/2 diced serrano pepper,* and cook for 7 minutes, or until soft.
• Add in 2 diced large peaches, 1/3 c. cider vinegar, 1/3 c. bourbon, 1 heaping tbsp. each of Dijon mustard and honey, 1 tbsp. ketchup, 1 tsp. chili powder, a large pinch of cayenne pepper, and salt.
• Let the mixture cook for 10 minutes, stirring often, or until the peaches are very soft.
• Puree in a blender until smooth, check for seasoning, and adjust as necessary.
• Set aside.**

For Chicken

• Rub 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts*** with canola oil, salt, and pepper.
• Place skin-side down on a medium-hot grill and cook for 15 minutes, or until skin is dark and crispy.
• Turn over and cook for another 10-15 minutes, or until cooked through.
• Brush on the glaze and let cook for another 3-4 minutes.
• Remove from the grill and let rest for 5-10 minutes.
• Serve with remaining glaze.

Serves four

*Or the whole thing, depending on how spicy you like it.
**Can be made ahead. Leave uncovered until cool, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a few days.

***Mine were about 9 oz. each.