It’s summer and the fresh farm produce is coming on strong including fresh raspberries. Friends picked five pounds of the luscious berries and gifted us a good size bowl of the beauties. After gorging on the delightful red juicy morsels, there were enough left for me to try this savory sweet-and-tart raspberry sauce to pair with summer-time grilled chicken or Cornish Hen. It would also work with grilled pork tenderloin. Grill-on!

Grilled Chicken or Cornish Hen with Raspberry Sauce
Serves 4
Ingredients:

• 1 small chicken split in half or 2 Cornish Hens split

• Chicken Marinade

• Savory Raspberry Sauce

  Steps:

  1. Make the marinade and marinate the chicken for 4 hours or more.

  Chicken Marinade:

• ¼ cup Sherry Vinegar

• ¼ cup soy sauce

• ½ cup olive oil

• 1 teaspoon ground dried thyme

• 1 teaspoon ground dried rosemary

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• ¼ teaspoon black pepper (or more to taste)
  

  2. Make the raspberry sauce

  Raspberry Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 cup raspberries (preferably fresh, but frozen will work)

• ¾ cup chicken broth

• ¼ cup Sherry Vinegar

• 1 tablespoon minced shallot

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme (or a heaping ½ teaspoon dried thyme)

• 2 tablespoons honey (divided)

• 1 teaspoon cornstarch (optional)

  Preparation:

  1. In a small saucepan, saute the shallot until just translucent (before it begins to brown)

  2. Add the chicken stock, vinegar, raspberries, thyme, and 1 tablespoon of honey and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a hot simmer and reduce by 2/3.

  3. Remove from heat and strain through a sieve to remove the solids.

  4. Return the reduced liquid to the saucepan over low-heat. Adjust the sweetness if needed by adding the reserved 1 tablespoon of honey.

  5. If the sauce is too thin, mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water or chicken stock and add the slurry to the hot liquid while stirring.

  6. Add a pinch of salt and pepper if desired.

  7. Set aside. You can rewarm the sauce just before serving it with the chicken.

  3. Grill the chicken

• preheat the grill to hot

• remove the chicken from the marinade and wipe with a paper towel. This will help prevent flare-ups on the grill and will produce a crispier skin.

• With the grill top open, reduce the heat to medium and sear the chicken skin side down for 2 minutes; turn over and repeat.

• Close the grill and reduce the heat to low and cook for about 25-30 minutes turning twice.

• Remove the bird to a plate and tent

  *Note: grill time will vary depending on the size of your bird. Use an insta-read thermometer to check the final temperature at 165 F.

  4. Reheat the sauce, plate, and serve

• Rewarm the sauce

• If you cooked a chicken, cut the chicken halves in half again so you have four servings. You don’t have to cut Cornish Hens in half again unless you want to.

• Plate the chicken and pour sauce around the pieces. You might want to put a small bowl of sauce on the table to spoon extra sauce over the chicken.

• Garnish with fresh raspberries. (optional)

  
  Serve with a fresh summer salad, or Gingery Grilled Vegetables, and rice.

  Wine pair: a refreshing chilled rosé, a white wine from the Rhone Valley, Chablis, White Burgundy, or not too oaky Chardonnay will pair nicely.