CHILI-RUBBED CHICKEN WITH ROSEMARY AND TOMATO

Chili-Rubbed Chicken with Rosemary and Tomato image

Yield Serves 6

Number Of Ingredients 9

3 skinless boneless whole chicken breasts (about 2 pounds), halved
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons chili powder
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 firm vine-ripened tomatoes (each about 3 inches in diameter)
6 fresh rosemary sprigs
six 10-inch wooden skewers, soaked in water 1 hour

Steps:

Arrange chicken breasts, skinned side down, on a cutting board. Remove fillet strip from each breast and reserve for another use.
In a small bowl whisk together tomato paste, chili powder, water, vinegar, and garlic paste. In a shallow baking dish large enough to hold chicken in one layer coat chicken with chili paste. Marinate chicken, covered and chilled, at least 1 hour and up to 24.
Prepare grill.
With a serrated knife cut off stem end of tomatoes and cut each tomato into three 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange 1 tomato slice and 1 rosemary sprig on wide end of skinned side of 1 chicken breast and fold narrow end over to sandwich tomato and rosemary. Thread a skewer through ends of chicken breast and then through folded side, letting pointed end of skewer extend about 1-1/2 inches beyond chicken breast. Stuff remaining chicken with remaining tomatoes and rosemary and thread with remaining skewers in same manner.
Grill chicken on an oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals until cooked through, about 8 minutes on each side.
Serve chicken warm or at room temperature.