As a main course for family dinners or as hors d'oeuvres, marinated chicken skewers, broiled or grilled, are high on the list of favorite foods. To give your skewers maximum sizzle, pay special attention to preparing, slicing and marinating the chicken.

First, inspect the meat and remove and discard any stray bits of skin, bone, fat, tough membrane or tendon. Briefly rinse the chicken under cold running water and pat it dry with paper towels. Then follow the instructions in the recipe for slicing the breast meat, keeping the pieces as uniform as possible so that the meat skewers neatly and cooks evenly.

Chicken breast is naturally tender, but tenderizing is only one of the reasons for marinating. A good marinade also enhances flavor and helps protect food from drying out.

Although boneless, skinless chicken is convenient to skewer, cook and serve, the loss of bone and fat makes the meat susceptible to drying out in the intense heat of the broiler or grill. This is especially true if the meat is thinly sliced or cut into small pieces. Marinating helps compensate for these factors by infusing the meat with moisture and extra flavor. Some marinades form a crisp coating around the food during cooking, sealing in the juices and providing additional insurance against dry, tasteless meat.

Success tips:

• Before using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes to prevent the tips from igniting during broiling or grilling. Wooden or metal skewers can get hot enough to cause serious burns, so use tongs or oven mitts to protect your hands when handling skewered foods during cooking. If skewered food is served with the skewers intact, warn diners to be cautious when handling the skewers.

• Be alert to the possibility of overbrowning or flare-ups when broiling or grilling foods that have been infused with marinades containing oil, sugar or sweetened ingredients (such as ketchup). Do not leave the food unattended under the broiler or on the grill at any point during cooking.

• According to the US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service, boneless chicken breast and other thin foods can be tested for doneness by inserting a digital instant-read thermometer into the top or side of the piece of food to a depth of at least half an inch. This technique permits the tip of the thermometer to penetrate the food sufficiently to accurately register the internal temperature. Chicken breast is considered safe to eat when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

Skewered Chicken Breast in Peanut Sauce

Crisp on the outside and juicy at the centre, these chicken strips owe their spicy-sweet flavor to an Asian-style marinade made with peanut butter, hot chili and plenty of pepper:

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1 cup crunchy peanut butter

? cup chopped cilantro

½ cup mild chili sauce or ketchup

½ tablespoon salt

¼ teaspoon each cayenne pepper and black pepper, or to taste

¼ cup lemon juice

¼ cup brown sugar

½ cup soy sauce

8 green onions, minced

3 tablespoons minced garlic

2 sweet peppers, red or green, cut into ½-inch squares

Minced parsley, for garnish

1. Slice each half-breast lengthwise into four strips. Set aside.

2. In a glass or ceramic bowl, combine peanut butter, cilantro, chili sauce, salt, cayenne, black pepper, lemon juice, sugar, soy sauce, green onions and garlic. Add chicken strips, cover and let marinate overnight.

3. Preheat broiler. Using 24 short (6 inches long) soaked bamboo skewers, thread each skewer with a strip of chicken, interspersing several squares of sweet pepper as the meat is threaded. Place skewers on rack in broiling pan about 5 inches from heat, turning once or twice, until thickest part of chicken reaches 165 degrees and exterior is slightly crisp (approximately 5 or 6 minutes per side). Garnish skewers with minced parsley and serve at once.

Serves 6 to 8 as a main dish; makes 24 appetizers.

Curried Chicken-Apricot Skewers

For this recipe, pieces of chicken breast are marinated in spices, wine and yogurt before being skewered and broiled with onions and apricots. Rice pilaf or plain rice complements the complex flavors in this dish.

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

½ cup plain, unflavored yogurt

¼ cup dry white wine

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon curry powder

? teaspoon ground cardamom

½ cup dried apricots

½ cup water

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

½ medium onion, separated into layers and cut in 1-inch squares

Sliced green onions with tops, for garnish

Lemon wedges

1. Cut chicken into generous bite-sized pieces; place in shallow glass bowl. In a small bowl, blend yogurt, wine, cinnamon, curry powder and cardamom until smooth. Pour over chicken, stirring to coat well. Cover and refrigerate from 2 to 4 hours.

2. Meanwhile, place apricots in a small pan with water, brown sugar and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and gently simmer, uncovered, until apricots are just tender (about 10 minutes). Drain and reserve apricots, discarding liquid or using it for another purpose.

3. Preheat broiler. Remove chicken pieces from marinade and thread onto 6 long (12 inches to 15 inches) wooden or metal skewers, alternating chicken with onion squares and apricots. Place on rack in broiling pan about 5 inches from heat. Broil, turning once, until thickest part of chicken pieces registers 165 degrees (approximately 4 to 5 minutes per side). Sprinkle with green onions. Serve at once, passing lemon wedges at the table to squeeze over the chicken.

Serves 6.

For additional culinary information and recipes from Cole's Cooking A to Z, e-mail AtoZ@culinarysocietyofamerica.com.