Sauteed Greek Chicken with Tomato, Olive, and Feta Topping

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and scored on top
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 2 T chopped fresh oregano
• 2 tsp. finely chopped fresh garlic
• 1 cup chopped grape or cherry tomatoes
• 1/3 cup sliced Kalamata olives
• 1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese
• Salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Cut away any visible fat or rough bits from the chicken breasts. Make shallow diagonal slashes across the top in a crosshatch pattern, taking care not to slice so deeply that the pieces become difficult to flip later. Stir the olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, and minced garlic together, then measure out 1/4 cup and save it for the topping. Place the chicken in a glass baking dish or a Ziploc bag, add the remaining marinade, and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to all day.
2. When it’s time to cook, pull the chicken from the refrigerator so it can lose its chill while you chop the tomatoes and olives. Fold the tomatoes, olives, crumbled Feta, and the reserved marinade together gently.
3. Warm roughly 1 tsp. more olive oil in a large, sturdy frying pan set over medium-high heat. A 12-inch cast-iron skillet works well for browning meat on the stovetop. Lift the chicken out of the marinade and place it in the pan without crowding, with the scored surface facing down. Sear that first side for 3-4 minutes, until well browned, then flip and cook the other side for another 3-4 minutes. The chicken is ready when it feels firm to the touch, but not hard.
4. Add salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste, keeping in mind that the Feta will bring plenty of saltiness. Transfer the chicken to a platter or individual plates, spoon the tomato, olive, and Feta mixture over the top, and serve hot.