Blackened chicken caprese sandwich recipe
If you’ve never had an authentic insalata caprese, like you would find on the island of Capri, you’re missing out on something very special. Insalata caprese is a simple salad literally picked from an Italian garden — tomatoes are picked right off the vine, young basil leaves are plucked from their stems, fresh fior di latte (cow’s milk mozzarella) is cut into delicate slices and then topped with a generous drizzle of top-shelf olive oil. All of which mimic the colors of the Italian flag. Rustic, robust, romantic; patriotic; It’s no wonder this dish has become such a revered Italian favorite.
For the better part of a century, caprese lovers and purists have safeguarded the dish, protecting it’s from recipes that use hothouse tomatoes, supermarket mozzarella, balsamic vinegar or anything that would compromise the sublime simplicity of their humble but masterful “salad of Capri”. Recipes just like this.
Destined to make any true Neapolitan weep, this blackened chicken caprese sandwich breaks the rules of tradition by combining the bold, complex flavors of blackened chicken with the classic flavors of a caprese salad on a fresh ciabatta roll. If the insalata caprese is like a lazy summer stroll through a quaint Italian countryside garden, this sandwich is more like a blazing red Ferrari doing smoking doughnuts at a farmers’ market. It may be exciting but you’re definitely going to offend someone.
Image: ForkingSpoon
Blackened chicken caprese sandwich recipe
Classic caprese flavors combine with bold and spicy blackened chicken on a ciabatta roll for a delicious deviation from the simple salad.
Ingredients
Instructions
Brine the chicken breasts
In a small bowl filled with the 4 cups of water, whisk together the salt and sugar until they are completely dissolved. Cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally and pound them with a mallet to make the breast a uniform thickness. Place them in the brine mixture, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Marinate the tomatoes
In a shallow plate or container, drizzle the tomato slices with a 1/2 teaspoon of the balsamic vinegar and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Turn the tomato slices over after 15 minutes and drizzle with the remaining balsamic vinegar.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Coat the chicken in blackening spice
Remove the chicken from the brine and brush the breasts with the olive oil (about a 1/2 tablespoon). Coat the breasts evenly with blackening spice (about 2 teaspoons of spice for each breast).
Blacken the chicken
In a cast iron skillet over high heat, place the chicken breast in 1/2 tablespoon of oil and cook the chicken for 1 to 2 minutes. Flip the breast and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes or until the chicken is cooked all the way through. Repeat for each breast and set aside.
Important: Be sure you are cooking in a well-ventilated area.
Finish cooking the chicken
Place chicken breasts on baking sheet and cook for 7 to 10 minutes until the center is no longer pink, the juices run clear and a thermometer measures the internal temperature at 165 degrees F. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes.
Assemble the sandwiches
Cut the ciabatta rolls in half and spread both sides with the mayonnaise. Place equal amounts of the lettuce, basil, tomato, and mozzarella on each ciabatta bottom and place the blackened chicken breast on top. Finish the sandwich with the red onion rings and the top half of the ciabatta roll.
Notes
It's easy to make your own blackening spice at home. Much better than most store-bought blackening spice, our homemade seasoning is easy to make and can be tweaked to suit your personal tastes.
Ingredients
Directions
Brine the chicken breasts
In a small bowl filled with the 4 cups of water, whisk together the salt and sugar until they are completely dissolved. Cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally and pound them with a mallet to make the breast a uniform thickness. Place them in the brine mixture, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Marinate the tomatoes
In a shallow plate or container, drizzle the tomato slices with a 1/2 teaspoon of the balsamic vinegar and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Turn the tomato slices over after 15 minutes and drizzle with the remaining balsamic vinegar.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Coat the chicken in blackening spice
Remove the chicken from the brine and brush the breasts with the olive oil (about a 1/2 tablespoon). Coat the breasts evenly with blackening spice (about 2 teaspoons of spice for each breast).
Blacken the chicken
In a cast iron skillet over high heat, place the chicken breast in 1/2 tablespoon of oil and cook the chicken for 1 to 2 minutes. Flip the breast and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes or until the chicken is cooked all the way through. Repeat for each breast and set aside.
Important: Be sure you are cooking in a well-ventilated area.
Finish cooking the chicken
Place chicken breasts on baking sheet and cook for 7 to 10 minutes until the center is no longer pink, the juices run clear and a thermometer measures the internal temperature at 165 degrees F. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes.
Assemble the sandwiches
Cut the ciabatta rolls in half and spread both sides with the mayonnaise. Place equal amounts of the lettuce, basil, tomato, and mozzarella on each ciabatta bottom and place the blackened chicken breast on top. Finish the sandwich with the red onion rings and the top half of the ciabatta roll.
IMPORTANT SAFETY WARNING: The USDA cautions against washing your meat before grinding or cooking due to it's ineffectiveness and risks of cross contamination. Additionally, they recommend that all ground beef be cooked to 160 degrees F as measured by a "thermistor or thermocouple food thermometer if possible" (a ThermoWorks Thermapen or Lavatools Javelin for instance).
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