Potpourri: Lemon/Rosemary Chicken Tenders

For my son's engagement party this coming weekend, I plan to lay out a sandwich bar, where guests may choose from yummy ingredients and build the sandwich of their liking on either the fresh focaccia I detailed last week or freshly baked sandwich rolls. I will butterfly and marinate the chicken tenders the previous day, then on party day, I'll broil them just until they are tender and succulent. Aside from the standard lettuce, tomatoes, cheeses, and condiments, I will offer a basil pesto sauce, a Thai peanut sauce, guacamole, and some roasted sweet peppers. That way, guests may build their sandwiches as simply or exotically as they please.

I did something similar for my mom's 85th birthday party, and the sandwiches were a big hit. To my surprise, the focaccia shone as the star sandwich component (see my Focaccia blog post). The chicken ran a close second.

Lemon/Rosemary Chicken Tenders

Marinade - per 12 pieces:

Fresh or frozen chicken tenders (allow 2-3 per serving)
3/4 C Olive oil
Juice from 1-2 lemons (throw chopped rinds in with marinade)
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp garlic powder or 2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
1/4 C onion, coarsely chopped
2 sprigs fresh or 1.5 tsp dried rosemary

Instructions:

Defrost tenders. Carefully butterfly them by giving them a sideways cut 3/4 of the way through. Then open them up and flatten them out so the pieces are double-wide and half as thin. Place all ingredients in a gallon size ziplock bag. Push out excess air and seal. Massage ingredients in the bag until marinade is well mixed and all chicken pieces are coated. Place on a large plate or pan and refrigerate overnight, turning bag over once in a while.

Remove bag from fridge at least an hour before cooking. Remove tenders from bag and allow excess marinade to run off of the tenders before placing them on a broiling pan. Broil the tenders 3-4 minutes on each side, just until they start to brown and the juices run clear when you cut into them. Keep in a foil-covered pan until ready to serve.