Orange-marinated chicken wrapped in bacon gets family’s approval (and maybe Charlie Trotter’s, too)

This month I am sharing an oldie, but goodie — a recipe my family has enjoyed for more than 20 years, Bacon Wrapped Marinated Chicken.

I found a version of this recipe in my box of Market Day chicken steaks a long time ago and it piqued my curiosity. My family has always been a fan of orange chicken, and this recipe seemed to feature similar flavors without the need to deep fry. Plus the chicken is wrapped in bacon, and we all know bacon makes everything taste better.

The recipe quickly became a family favorite — so much that I even contributed my version to a cookbook fundraiser for an organization I was part of back in 1994 called PACES, or the Parent and Child Education Society.

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are cut in half and marinated in a slightly sweet and salty marinade seasoned with ginger and garlic before being wrapped in bacon. A skewer helps keep the bacon in place while cooking. I love to grill these, but they are also great baked.

(I have a trick for you to consider when using skewers. There are times when I am making shish kebab and don’t know how many skewers I will need. Since I don’t want to contaminate the entire package of skewers, I place them in a drinking glass as you would a bouquet of flowers in a vase. This makes it easy to grab one at a time, preserving the rest for another time.)

This recipe also works great as an appetizer. Cut the chicken in bite-sized pieces (I use a date as a guideline) and marinate. Wrap each piece in bacon and secure with a toothpick before baking. (Another trick: Partially cook the bacon slices on a baking sheet, allow them to cool, and then wrap around the chicken pieces. This helps avoid undercooked bacon and overcooked chicken.)

Now for a funny story: A long time ago I had the opportunity to spend a day in the kitchen with Chef Charlie Trotter and his staff at his famous Chicago restaurant. As a thank you, I sent Chef Trotter a copy of “Betty’s Back,” the PACES cookbook I mentioned earlier. At the time, my husband joked that Trotter would probably throw it away since he would never make any of its recipes — things like Taffy Apple Dip, Long Lasting Bubbles and this chicken recipe. While I agreed, I still thought it would be fun for him to have a copy, so I added my thank you note to the inside of the cover and sent it off, never thinking about it again.

You can imagine my surprise when I learned that same cookbook is now part of the Charlie Trotter Cookbook Collection in the Chicago Public Library, specifically in Box 5 of the American category of books. I found this information on the library’s website with a note saying if you want to view the cookbook they need 24 hours’ notice in order to find the box.

This made me laugh out loud for longer than I should probably admit. You can imagine my excitement when sharing this information with my husband, complete with an “I told you so” smile.

For me, the moral of this story is that saying thank you is always a good thing, and to never underestimate what something might mean to someone else. Did Chef Trotter ever make any of the recipes? Probably not. But he thought enough of the cookbook to save it, and I think that is pretty neat!

So, as I share this recipe I can hope that just maybe Chef Trotter tried it too. But even if he didn’t, it is still a delicious way to prepare chicken. I bet your family and friends will enjoy it as much as mine have.

• Penny Kazmier, a wife and mother of four from South Barrington, won the 2011 Daily Herald Cook of the Week Challenge. Contact Penny at DhCulinaryAdventures@gmail.com.

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Bacon Wrapped Marinated Chicken

½ cup orange marmalade

¼ cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root, or 1 teaspoon dry

1 teaspoon garlic powder, or 4 medium sized garlic cloves, pressed

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

6 slices bacon, normal thickness

6 10-12” skewers (size should be at least 2” longer than your chicken pieces)

Combine orange marmalade, soy sauce, ginger and garlic and mix to combine.

Dry chicken breasts and slice in half lengthwise and place in container or zip top bag. Pour marinade in and stir to cover chicken evenly. Place in refrigerator at least an hour or up to 12 hours.

Remove chicken from marinade and wrap each piece in one slice of bacon, threading on skewer to secure.

Place remaining marinade in small sauce pan and heat to boiling for at least 3 minutes. Set aside for basting and dipping sauce.

If grilling: Place on preheated medium-hot grill, turning every 5 minutes to ensure bacon and chicken cook evenly. After about 15 minutes, baste with remaining sauce. Continue to grill until bacon is cooked and chicken registers 160° to 165°F on a thermometer. Remove and tent with foil; allow to rest 5 minutes before eating.

If cooking in oven: Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare sheet pan by lining with aluminum foil. For best results, spray a baking rack with cooking spray and place on top of baking sheet. Place chicken skewers on rack and bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven, baste with sauce and turn. Continue baking approximately 10 more minutes, or until chicken registers 160° to 165°F on a thermometer. Remove and tent with foil; allow to rest 5 minutes before eating.

Serve any remaining sauce on the side, if desired.

Serves 3 to 4.

— Penny Kazmier