Herbs are something we grow year round. Living in the Upper Midwest, that requires growing said herbs in pots. Currently, there are four good sized pots of basil proliferating on the deck, so recipes that use fresh basil tend to catch my eye. But I almost passed up this chicken dish. At first glance, the cup of fresh basil in it led me to believe the dish consisted of chicken with homemade pesto. But that was not the case. Without pine nuts and Parmesan cheese, basil combined with olive oil, garlic, and lemon zest becomes a basil sauce, not pesto. Since it was not something we had done before, we gave it a try.

But before the delicious basil sauce dresses the chicken, the meat is marinated in olive oil and lemon juice with fennel seeds added into the mix. Fennel seeds add a hint of anise or licorice flavor to foods. They impart that taste sensation to the marinade for this chicken dish as well. The light and fresh taste is perfect for enjoying a Summer grilling evening!

Grilled Chicken With Basil Sauce

Grilled Chicken with Basil Dressing (adapted from Giada De Laurentiis via foodnetwork.com) Total Time Required: 1 hour 6 minutes, Prep Time: 20 minutes, Inactive Time: 30 minutes, Cook Time: 16 minutes, Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 7 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
• 1-1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds, coarsely crushed
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 1-1/2 pounds chicken breasts
• 1 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
• 1 large garlic clove
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

Directions:

Whisk together 1/3 cup of the oil, 3 tablespoons of the lemon juice, the fennel seeds, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper in a small bowl or measuring glass.

Whisk the marinade ingredients together.

Add the chicken to a resealable plastic bag. Add the marinade and seal the bag. Massage the marinade into the chicken. Refrigerate the chicken in the marinade for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day, turning the chicken occasionally.

Marinate the chicken.

In the cup of a wand blender, add the basil, garlic, lemon peel, the remaining 1/4 cup of lemon juice, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Blend until smooth. Gradually blend in the remaining 1/3 cup of oil. Season the basil sauce to taste, with more salt and pepper, if desired.

Put together the basil sauce.

Set the grill to medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade. Grill the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF, about 8 minutes per side.

Grill the chicken to an internal temperature of 165ºF.

Transfer the chicken to a serving plate, drizzle the basil sauce over it and serve.

Serve the chicken with the sauce.