Skewers are a regular feature in al fresco Italian dining. There they are known as spiedini and these Chicken Skewers are served with a very flavorful tapenade of cucumbers, arugula and olives.
Chicken Skewers with Chopped Cucumber, Arugula & Olives
Print This Recipe Yield 4Source La Cucina ItalianaPublishedserves 4
Ingredients
- 1.75 pound boneless chicken thighs, cut into 32 pieces
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 2 clove garlic, thinly sliced
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper, as needed
- oil for grill
- 1 cup finely chopped, peeled and seeded cucumber
- ⅓ cup finely chopped arugula
- ⅓ cup finely chopped lindsay kalamata olives
- .75 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- very good olive oil for drizzling
Directions
In a large bowl, combine chicken, wine, garlic, and rosemary; stir to combine. Cover mixture and marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes. Prepare a charcoal grill for direct-heat cooking over medium-hot coals (medium-high for gas). Thread chicken pieces onto 8 skewers season with salt and pepper. Grill skewers on a lightly oiled grill rack, turning frequently, until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer skewers to a large serving plate. In a bowl stir together cucumber, arugula, olives, theme and red pepper flakes. Spoon mixture over skewers and drizzle with olive oil.
I made this last night to serve while my parents visited for the weekend. We served it with a maple mustard vinaigrette. The flavors come together perfectly. I was worried the gorgonzola cheese would be too sharp compared to the mild pear but I was wrong. This simple yet elegant salad has found it’s way into our fall menu rotation. Thanks for posting Greg, it got great reviews from us.
I am such a fan of butter lettuce, pear, gorgonzola and walnuts… a flavor combination that always makes me happy.
The idea of baking the pear is a brilliant twist on a classic salad! Thanks!
‑E
The effort you put into all of this deserves a visit at every stop.
This series is very touching Greg and this post especially so. I feel like I know your mom a little bit now.
Another very pretty dish! I find those types of directions so often in family recipes, I wonder if its also because people usually learned by watching their mothers in the kitchen instead of from written recipes.
Every element of this salad goes so well with each other. Sweet, sharp, tangy, crunchy..it’s all good!
Absolutely love Gorgonzola, great use for it.
Love this salad! And what a sweet tribute to your mother.
Those pears look awesome — I love all of it. Thanks!!
It is simply elegant. Although I don’t know what your mother’s version looked or tasted like, I imagine that this represents a perfect combination of both your skills.
The first good salad I ever made had all these elements, but it wasn’t nearly as gracefully put together. I am definitely going to try this one.
This is such a simple salad. Definitely perfect for spring. I feel like flipping through the pages of that book your brother put together just to see what else your mom cooked up.
Great recipe and what a nice post. My mom’s repertoire consisted of about 8 recipes when we were growing up. Her forte was cake baking and decorating.
I recently got my hands on a family cookbook from back in the early 1900’s and am having fun cooking with it.
Looking forward to meeting you at camp this week!
Oh I love pears with cheese! I was just gonna do somthin’ with baked pears and brie. Nice recipe here 🙂
I love pear and gorgonzola with walnuts, yours looks delicious. I baked it in a puff pastry a week or so ago and having it on a salad would be delightful! What a great tribute to your mom.
Thanks for stopping by my blog‑I look forward to meeting you this weekend.
My Mom cooked from scratch and never wrote anything down. Including making bread and cinnamon rolls. Your posts bring back memories. Thanks! See you at Camp.
I can relate to all the sentiments involved in your endeavor to connect with your mom. Nice post. Can’t wait to meet you!
Lovely and elegant! I have stacks of my grandmother’s ‘recipes’ that are nothing more than ingredient lists. You have to know where you are going with the dish (as she did) to know what to do with them. Luckily, I have a good memory so will have to reconstruct some of them someday.
What a tribute to your Mother! I cherish all of the recipes that I have from my Granny and Great Aunts. I love the handwritten recipes that I have. Thanks for sharing with us all! Thanks for stopping by my blog and looking forward to meeting you at camp!
Melissa
Greg — Thank you so much for stopping by and introducing yourself! Your tribute to mom with her recipes is touching and this pear salad sounds amazingly delicious! See you in a few days at Camp!
“…until done.” HA! What is it about that generation. They did just know when the food was done. And I don’t thing anything ever went to waste, making them very creative in the kitchen.
More importantly, pear/gorgonzola/walnuts — one of the best combinations known to man. WANT.
I just love your writing. 🙂 Oh, and the salad is pretty awesome too!
I am making this Baked Pear & Gorgonzola Salad. The combination of sweet with the tang of gorgonzola is undeniably a flavorful combination I enjoy.
Thanks for introducing yourself over on TC. I look forward to meeting you at Camp this weekend! =)
I have to admit here, I’m a bit envious that you had a mother who cooked. Mine didn’t…well, didn’t cook other than the same four casseroles, I mean meals, over and over again. She helped compile a “cookbook” with her family contributing. I remember one recipe in particular that my grandfather put in, “Coffee Soup”. Let’s just say, I’m not too sure how a slice of white bread, soaked in coffee and sprinkled with sugar equals soup…or anything edible for that matter! I guess it’s good I married a passionate foodie!
~kristin
I keep singing that song in my head — these are pear-fect!
I finally made it over to take a look at your week long tribute to your mom and I am glad I did. This is such a unique and great dish. Plus, who doesn’t love gorgonzola?! Photos are as spectacular as the baked pear.
That’s the wonderful thing about a family cookbook: It’s like having the family member in the kitchen with you while you make the recipe. (My all-time favorite direction from a sister-in-law: “add the rum to the simmering syrup. Lean over the pan and inhale deeply.”)
What a lovely tribute to your mother. From the look of the fabulous salad, it seems that she could certainly hold her own in the kitchen.