Recipe: Grilled Chicken with Walnut and Pomegranate Sauce

Every Thursday on the Good Food Blog we share a recipe from our archives.

Cheryl Forberg, author ofStop the Clock! Cooking: Defy Aging–Eat the Foods You Lovefirst shared this recipe for Grilled Chicken with Walnut and Pomegranate Sauce with us on May 10, 2003.

Keep reading for the full recipe…

Grilled Chicken with Walnut and Pomegranate Sauce

6 servings

Walnut and Pomegranate Sauce:

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 cup finely chopped yellow onion

1/2 tsp saffron or turmeric

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp pepper

2 cups fat-free chicken or vegetable broth

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup pomegranate syrup

1 Tablespoon sorghum syrup or dark honey

Salt and pepper to taste

Grilled Chicken:

6 three-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1 Tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley, without stems

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (optional and if fruit is in season)

Prepare sauce:

Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened and light golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add the spices and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 1 1/2 cups of the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Place walnuts in the bowl of a food processor and process until very finely ground. Add remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth, the pomegranate syrup, and the sorghum syrup. Process until sauce is creamy and smooth. Carefully add the hot broth and onion mixture, and process until smooth.

Return sauce to saute pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until mixture has the consistency of thick cream, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

Prepare chicken:

Preheat charcoal grill. Brush chicken lightly with olive oil. Arrange chicken on a rack set about 6 inches over glowing coals. Grill about 4 minutes on each side or until just cooked through. (Alternatively, chicken may be grilled on a hot, ridged grilled pan over medium-high heat.) Season with salt and pepper.

Serve each chicken breast with 2 tablespoons sauce and garnish with chopped parsley and pomegranate seeds. Pass extra sauce separately.