On Mother’s Day I was easily persuaded to just walk away from the kitchen. I sat at the kitchen counter, though – technically in the area of the family room – and nursed a glass of my favorite cheap white wine and watched as my husband Tom prepared dinner. He was motivated by inspiration and improvisation. Luckily, he had done a little online research earlier in the day, and had hunted and gathered at the grocery store – since normally we do not have fresh, ripe mangoes on hand.
His idea came from a big, convivial barbecue lunch we had recently enjoyed at a restaurant while celebrating our son’s college graduation. 4 Rivers Smokehouse (https://4rsmokehouse.com/) was the spot our new graduate chose, and we fed him, and two of his pals, an enormous amount of food in about a minute and a half. Barbecue in Brobdingnagian portions is the perfect fuel for youthful omnivores. Tom had a modest serving of Smokehouse Sliders – pulled pork, Angus brisket and Texas sausage with fries and cole slaw. The young academics had trays full to spilling with the restaurant’s signature Angus brisket, pulled pork, sliced pork, jalapeños, more fries and fried grits. Amazing. I sipped a Diet Coke and caged some fries and watched all the skinny young men scarfing down their huge meals. What I cannot understand is why they didn’t have room for the enormous and beauteous desserts…
Tom enjoyed his pulled pork and filed away an idea for a variation on that theme. On Mother’s Day he did his research, made a quick trip to the grocery store, and set about preparing his first Chicken avec Salsa á la Thomas for his adoring public.
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• Salt and pepper
• 1 smallish Vidalia onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 1/3 cups barbecue sauce (our newly minted grad insisted on Sweet Baby Ray’s, because he has opinions)
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• Lashings of hot sauce (we like things spicy)
Tom basted the chicken breasts with this mixture, and baked in a shallow dish at 350°F for about 45 minutes. Every 15 minutes he re-basted the chicken. When it was done, he shredded the chicken with 2 forks, and mixed it up with the rest of the marinade (in a very healthy fashion – the basting brush had not been dipped into the remaining goo) and put it in a saucepan to simmer and warm up again while the table was set and the wine was opened.
Peach & Mango Salsa, for the side dish
1 cup chopped fresh, locally grown tomatoes
2 ripe peaches, pitted and chopped, please
½ cup chopped sweet red pepper
½ cup chopped ripe mango
1 chopped fresh jalapeño (be careful – don’t rub your eyes!)
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, cover and refrigerate until you are ready to pop open the Mother’s Day Prosecco.
You can serve with tortilla chips, or be a suburban sophisticate, and make your own crostini. Yumsters.
We had an elegant meal with the shiny new grad out on the back porch, enjoying the breezes and talk of the future. And I didn’t have to wash or dry a single pan or bowl. Bliss. More Prosecco, please!
“Read. Read all the time. Read as a matter of principle, as a matter of self-respect. Read as a nourishing staple of life.”
― David McCullough
More tasty chicken ideas from Mark Bittman of the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/05/11/magazine/mag-11eat-chicken.html?_r=0
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