Life here at Burp! has been pretty hectic lately. Peef started a new job last week (yay for Peef!) and we've been doing some serious juggling to make sure that our schedules convene at all the proper moments. What that means is, we've not been reading (or writing) quite as much online.
That said, I do have a great recipe to share with you today.
If you think bourbon chicken should be relegated to the fast food court at the mall, I'm going to challenge you to change your tune.
This bourbon chicken recipe has been a staple in our kitchen for years. It makes a great stir-fry... but we think it really shines when used in a sammich.
You want to start off with some good quality split chicken breasts. Take each breast and place it between two sheets of waxed paper... then pound it with the flat side of a meat tenderizer until it is fairly thin.
Then, you'll want to take some brown sugar (or Sucanat), some bourbon, dark soy sauce, a bit of Dijon mustard, and some Worcestershire sauce - and mix it all together until well combined.
Lay the chicken breasts (the marinade will nicely accommodate 4-6 breasts) in a shallow container, season with salt and pepper, and then top with some sliced green onions.
Pour the marinade over the top and place in the fridge for a few hours. The chicken tastes best if you can marinate it overnight, but 4-6 hours also does nicely.
When the chicken has absorbed the flavors of the marinade, grill each breast 4-5 minutes per side on a grill pan (or outdoor grill) on medium-high heat. Admire the gorgeous grill marks.
You can eat the chicken as-is -- OR you can do as we we do and get to work on the fixins for a delicious sammich. First, thinly slice a Bosc pear (or two). Lay the slices on a section of French bread and top with a bit of brie and a chicken breast.
Then, take your sammiches and place them on a preheated panini press and grill them until they're warm and crips (you can also accomplish the same effect by placing the sammiches on a preheated grill pan and grilling them under the weight of a cast iron pan).
Top each sammich with a bit of watercress and get ready to drool.
You really can't beat this combination. The fresh spicy flavor of the watercress pairs nicely with the sweetness of the pear. It cuts the richness of the brie, and really complements the salty-sweet flavor of the bourbon marinade.You can't beat this sammich paired up with a side of roasted asparagus for a great spring dinner.
Enjoy!
Bourbon Chicken Breasts
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