Email to Cat      

"Everything" Chicken Sandwich Melts

Source of Recipe

From "Cravings" by Chrissy Teigen


Recipe Introduction

"Okay, I know that half of the recipes in this book feel like they were either developed *by* people with a bogus medical marijuana card, or *for* them. But like many decisions made under one influence or another, this one has its own crazy genius. Everything bagels are, indeed, everything, so I took alllll those delicious seeds and flavors and decided to bread and pan-fry a juicy chicken bust into a salty, onion, garlicky, crispy little cutlet. Slap that onto some flatbread, add cheese, possibly even a tomato and a red onion slice (because, you know, vegetables) and broil this magic into an open-faced sammie. Seriously, this sandwich is crazy delicious, and if you don't want the sandwich you can make the cutlet and cut it up over salad. (File under: Sober Stoner Recipes.)"

List of Ingredients

For the chicken:
â—¦ 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
â—¦ 2 teaspoons paprika
â—¦ 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
â—¦ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
â—¦ 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ 4 thin-cut chicken breast cutlets (5 ounces each)

For the breading:
â—¦ ½ cup all-purpose flour
â—¦ 1 tablespoon paprika
â—¦ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
â—¦ ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
â—¦ 2 eggs
â—¦ 1 ½ cups plain dried bread crumbs
â—¦ 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
â—¦ 3 tablespoons dried minced onion flakes
â—¦ 2 tablespoons dried minced garlic
â—¦ 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
â—¦ 1 ½ teaspoons caraway seeds

For the sandwich melts:
â—¦ Canola oil, for shallow-frying
â—¦ 4 (8-inch) round soft lavash or naan breads
â—¦ 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
â—¦ 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
â—¦ ½ large red onion, sliced into ¼-inch-thick rings
â—¦ 1 large beefsteak tomato, cut into 8 (¼-inch-thick) slices
â—¦ Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ 8 slices pepper jack cheese


Recipe

Prepare the chicken: In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, paprika, cayenne, salt, and black pepper. Rub the mixture all over the chicken.

Set up the breading station: In a wide, shallow bowl, combine the flour, paprika, salt, black pepper, and cayenne. In a second wide, shallow bowl, beat the eggs just to combine. In a third wide, shallow dish, combine the bread crumbs, sesame seeds, onion flakes, dried garlic, poppy seeds, and caraway seeds.

Working with one cutlet at a time, place the chicken in the flour to coat, shake off the excess, dip both sides in the egg, shaking off any excess, then press into the bread crumb mixture, shaking off any excess. Transfer the breaded chicken cutlets to a plate.

Make the sandwich melts: Position a rack 6 inches from the heating element and preheat the broiler. In a large skillet, heat ¼ inch canola oil over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Working in two to three batches, add the cutlets and fry until golden and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes per side, adding a little more oil if needed between batches. Drain the cutlets on paper towels.

Trim the bread to about the size of the chicken cutlets or a little larger. Arrange on a baking sheet, brush with the olive oil, and sprinkle ¼ cup cheddar evenly over each lavash. Divide the onion rings among the lavash, then top each with a fried cutlet. Arrange two tomato slices on top of each cutlet, season with salt and pepper, and layer pepper jack cheese on top of each cutlet. Broil the sandwiches until the cheese is bubbling and slightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve hot.

Makes 4 sandwiches