Chicken Breasts in a Date, Caper, and Mascarpone Sauce with Couscous

A chicken breast starts out on the grill and ends up on the stove in this lovely dish of middle-eastern inspiration. The grilled chicken is covered with a rich and melting mascarpone sauce with capers and chopped dates, presented on a mound of hot couscous, and topped with fresh tomato and cucumber.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 55 mins
• Calories: 616 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 pinch salt
• ½ cup water
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 pinch salt and ground black pepper to taste
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice (Optional)
• 1 skinless, boneless chicken breast half
• ½ cup couscous
• 1 tablespoon salted butter
• 3 dates, pitted and chopped
• ½ tomato, diced
• ¼ cup mascarpone cheese
• ¼ cup capers, drained
• 1 date, pitted and chopped
• ¼ cucumber, diced

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat, and lightly oil the grate.

Step 2

Grill the chicken breast until the meat is no longer pink inside and shows well-defined grill marks, 5 to 8 minutes per side. Cut the chicken breast in half, and set aside.

Step 3

Bring the water, unsalted butter, and a pinch of salt to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Remove from the heat, and stir in the couscous. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

Step 4

Melt the salted butter in a skillet over medium heat, and gently stir in the capers and 3 dates. Stir a few times to heat the capers and dates, then stir in the mascarpone cheese and cream, stirring until the cheese and cream have melted together. Allow the mixture to simmer for about 3 minutes to reduce slightly, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

Step 5

Place the couscous on a serving platter, and sprinkle with a chopped date. Arrange the 2 pieces of chicken breast onto the couscous, and cover with the mascarpone sauce. Sprinkle the dish with diced cucumber and tomato, and drizzle lemon juice over the top to serve.