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Chicken and Peaches on Salad Greens

Adapted from a recipe that appeared in the Boston Globe Magazine on August 30, 2015. This was in turn inspired by a recipe in Let the Flames Begin by Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby, ISBN 978-0-393-32657-4. The original is available here, but you might encounter a paywall. This dish can be very attractive if plated artistically. It takes some effort to prepare, but only the final steps are time-critical, so most of the work can be done ahead of time. Serves 4 as a main meal, 6 or more as a lunch (adjust quantities according to appetite).

1. In a large bowl, completely dissolve (by patient stirring) the non-iodized salt and the sugar in 4 cups of cool water. Make more or less brine as needed, but maintain the approximate proportion of one tablespoon (15 ml) of salt and ½ tablespoon (7.5 ml) of sugar per cup (8 oz, 240 ml) of water. Submerge the chicken in the brine, cover the container and refrigerate for one hour. Then remove, drain, rinse the chicken and dry it well using paper towels.
2. While the chicken is brining, prepare the dressing. In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, olives, basil and black pepper to taste. Vigorously whisk in 4 to 6 tablespoons (¼ to ⅜ cup) olive oil (you should have about ¾ cup of dressing). Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and more black pepper if necessary. Set aside. TIP: As an alternative to all this whisking, just throw it into a Mini-Prep® food processor. The final appearance will be different, so experiment with this. Also, if roasted garlic happens to be available where you buy the olives, try using that instead of fresh and double the quantity. The flavor is different, so, again, experiment.
3. Now let's get to the grilling. You can do this well ahead of serving. For a charcoal grill, prepare a medium-hot fire. You probably know better than I do what the equivalent is for a gas grill, but the Boston Globe says "... preheat on high for 15 minutes" and "... adjust burners to medium-hot and grill with the lid closed". Clean and oil the grill grate. While the grill is heating, put the remaining olive oil in a large bowl and toss the pepper planks until they are coated. Do the same with the peach halves, perhaps using a brush. After removing the peppers and peaches, coat the chicken and then discard any oil that is left in the bowl. Sprinkle the chicken and peppers generously with black pepper and, if you wish, a little salt. Grill the bell pepper planks and chicken first, while the grill is hottest. Turn the peppers as necessary until they are charred and tender. You want the skin side burned so that the skin will separate. However large you made the planks, there's always the risk that they will slide though the grate onto the coals, so be on your guard. Try to turn the chicken just once, at the half-way mark. It should be slightly browned and have grill marks. The total time is likely to be 8 to 10 minutes, but it's very important not to let it overcook. The Boston Globe recommends 155 to 160°F on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part. Personally, I take the chicken pieces off the grill when the internal temperature reaches 150°F and pile them up on a covered plate to complete cooking. Note that the FDA recommends cooking all poultry to 165°F, especially if it will be eaten by anyone at increased risk of food-borne illness. Remove the peppers and chicken from the grill and set them aside to rest and cool. If you're using a gas grill, reduce the heat to medium. Grill the peaches, cut side down at first, until grill-marked, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn them over and grill the other side for about 2 minutes or until the skin loosens. Remove them from the grill, allow to cool and slide off the skin.
4. When cool, cut the peaches into thin slices. Cut the bell pepper into strips of similar shape and size to the sliced peaches. Slice the chicken thinly, keeping the slices in a stack that you can reassemble into a spread-out version of the original shape. Mix the salad greens, parsley and scallions in a large bowl. TIP: Don't feel constrained by what is listed in the ingredients, here. If you like baby spinach or arugula, go for it. If you don't like scallions, leave them out. Preferably, you should have a combination of sharp- and mild-flavored leaves, but the dressing is strongly flavored so be bold!
5. Finally, it's time to put it all together. You want to do this part quickly, so that the salad doesn't get soggy, and serve it at once. At the same time, a little care in the arrangement will be rewarding as the colors make this dish very attractive on the plate. Whisk the dressing up again to re-blend it. Use half of it to dress the salad greens, tossing well. Cover a very large serving platter with a bed of greens, leaving the rest in the bowl to serve separately. Arrange the chicken, peppers and peaches imaginatively on the greens and drizzle with the other half of the dressing. For example, place the chicken in rows across the platter with heaps of alternately pepper and peach in between.