CULINARY CLUCK Entry - Grilled Chicken Breast on Focaccia Bread
Here's our first entry - where's yours? Bon App! - El Jefe
Bob and Mary Ellen Nikkola's
Grilled Chicken Breast Sandwich on Focaccia Bread:
General Ingredients:
Grilled Chicken Breasts
Caramelized Onion
Eggplant
Swiss Cheese
Aioli ( you may use mayonnaise if you do not want to make it)
Focaccia Bread ( you may buy the Focaccia at a good bakery or make it)
Salt and Pepper
Preparation:
Heat grill When grill is hot... Grill Chicken and Eggplant
Grilled Chicken Breasts-
Use one to two boneless skinless chicken breast. Simply rub down the chicken with olive oil salt and pepper to taste.
Grill: Only takes a few minutes until cooked through cook both sides.
Caramelized Onion -Use one to two large yellow onion-Caramelizing onions is just cooking them so they brown deeply. It's easy to do and results in cooked onions with a dark, sweet, browned flavor.
* 2 yellow onions
* 3 tbsp. butter
* 1 Tbs brown sugar
* 1 nonstick heavy frying pans
Step 1 - Peel and slice the onions. It's important to have all the onion pieces roughly the same size and shape so they cook evenly. Otherwise, smaller pieces will burn before the larger ones caramelize.
Step 2 - Heat the pan over medium heat, then add the oil and continue to heat.
Step 3 - Once the oil is nice and hot, add the onions. They should sizzle when they hit the oil, but the oil shouldn't be so hot that they splatter and pop.
Step 4 - Stir them together immediately so each onion piece is coated with some of the oil. The temperature of the oil will drop.
Step 5 - Now let the onions cook, stirring up off the bottom frequently, so each onion piece gets roughly the same amount of time in contact with the floor of the pan.
Step 6 - Keep stirring from time to time, perhaps every 15 to 30 seconds. The onions will lose as much as two-thirds of their volume as the water within them evaporates, and then they'll begin to brown.
Step 7 - Once browning begins, you may wish to lower the heat; then you run a much lower risk of burning the onions. Either way, watch them closely at this point and stir more frequently. As the sugar within them caramelizes, they'll go from light tan to golden to deep brown. Don't cook past a mahogany color, because they're at great danger of burning about now.
Step 8 - When the desired color is reached (after at least 10 to 20 minutes), transfer the onions to a cool plate or bowl at once so they stop cooking.
Grilled Eggplant -
Slice Eggplant about 1/4 inch slices- drizzle olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Grill over hot coals until done. Only a few minutes or until soft
* 1 large eggplant
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
* 2 cloves garlic, very finely minced
* 1 pinch each thyme, basil, dill, and oregano
* salt and freshly grated black pepper
slice eggplant about 1/2-inch thick. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper. Brush both sides of the eggplant slices with the oil and vinegar mixture.
Note: you can pre cook eggplant in oven first then place on grill to speed up cooking time. Simply to brown and heat eggplant.
Place eggplant on the hot preheated grill. Grill about 15 to 20 minutes, turning once.
Swiss Cheese-
Aioli
* 2 teaspoons crushed garlic, or more if you wish
* 1 egg yolk
* 1 tablespoon lemon juice
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* pinch of pepper
* 1 cup olive oil (extra virgin Olive Oil) may I suggest Calaveras County brand.
(Note: sometime we add a little pitch of fresh rosemary)
You should have all of the ingredients at room temperature before you start. Make this in a bowl that is heavy enough that it won't move across the counter as you're mixing, or make it in your food processor.
Mix the garlic, egg yolk, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a heavy mixing bowl with a hand mixer until the yolk lightens and thickens slightly (about 1 minute).
Start adding the olive oil, drop by drop, mixing all the while with your hand mixer. You can add it a bit faster as you go along, but as with mayonnaise, the key to success is going very slowly. When you are done adding the oil you can adjust the seasoning as suits your taste.
This makes 1 cup - maybe you should double the recipe, it is so good. Keep in refrigerator.
Focaccia Bread-recipe
( Make it OR JUST BUY IT AT A GOOD BAKERY)
INGREDIENTS
* 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon white sugar
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
* 1 cup water
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 egg
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
DIRECTIONS
1. Combine 1 cup flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Mix well. Heat water and vegetable oil until warm, and add to yeast mixture along with the egg. Blend with an electric mixer at low speed until moistened. Beat for 2 additional minutes. Stir in 1 3/4 cup flour while beating, until dough pulls away from side of bowl.
2. Knead in 3/4 cup flour on floured surface. Cover dough with a bowl, and let sit for 5 minutes. Place dough on a greased baking sheet. Roll out to 12 inch circle. Cover with greased plastic wrap and a cloth towel. Place in a warm place for 30 minutes.
3. Uncover dough, and poke holes in it with a spoon handle at 1 inch intervals. Drizzle olive oil on dough, and sprinkle with crushed rosemary.
4. Bake at 500 degrees F for 17 until just golden. Remove from baking sheet, and cool on rack.
Building your Sandwich:
Slice your Focaccia Bread to sandwich size and spilt.
Spread on two slices of warmed focaccia bread with Aioli .
Add Salt and Pepper to taste
Stack on the bread (from bottom up):
- Eggplant
- Grilled Chicken
- Grilled Onion (hot)
- Swiss Cheese (You can place under a broiler or warm oven to melt cheese slightly.
Sandwich should be served warm with melted cheese not cold.
Garnish plate with branch of rosemary.
