East West Chicken Breast

6 8 oz. chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
3 cups orange juice
¾ cup chopped scallions
¾ cup teriyaki sauce
4 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 ½ Tbsp. shaved coconut
1 ½ tsp. freshly grated ginger
1 ½ Tbsp. freshly chopped mint
1 ½ Tbsp. sweet butter
3 Tbsp. olive oil
** sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine orange juice, scallions, teriyaki sauce, sesame oil, coconut, ginger, mint, and salt & pepper. Add chicken breast. Marinate for approx. 1 ½ hours. Set aside.

Fluffy Couscous

1 ½ cups couscous
3 Tbsp. sweet butter
1 ½ Tbsp. walnut oil
1/3 cup chopped scallions
1/3 cup California dates, pitted, diced
1/3 cup toasted almonds
1 ½ Tbsp. mustard seeds
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime juiced
pinch cumin
** sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring 1 ¾ cups water to boil in medium saucepan with butter. Stir in couscous. Remove from heat. Cover. Let stand 5 minutes.Fluff couscous with fork. Add walnut oil. Set aside. When cool place in large mixing bowl. Toss in scallions, dates, almonds, mustard seeds, cilantro, lime juice, cumin and season with salt, pepper to taste. Set aside.

Preparation

Remove chicken breast from marinade. Cut into 2 lobes (allow to drip for a minute). Brush large skillet or grill generously with olive oil, at moderate heat. Cook each side for approx. 5 minutes or until done.

The Sauce

Place 1 ½ cups marinade mixture in medium sauce pan over moderate heat. Reduce by half. Slowly whisk in 1 Tbsp. butter. Strain through fine sieve. Season to taste.

Garnish & Presentation

6 sprigs mint
1 ½ Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
6 dates, halved
1/3 cup toasted slivered almonds
3 oranges, peeled, cut into 10 segments

Place couscous in center of large serving plate. Top with 2 chicken breast lobes. Place 5 orange segments around chicken. Ladle out sauce. Place dates & toasted almonds on top of chicken breast. Sprinkle outer edge with sesame seeds. Garnish dish with mint sprig.