Chicken Sammy with Prosciutto, Garlic Spinach and Meyer Lemon Goat Cheese
Posted on | February 28, 2010 | 1 Comment
Do more with your sandwich
Obviously, I’m on a bit of a Meyer Lemon kick these days.
I’ll write this one equally as quickly as it came to me. While thinking of lunch yesterday, and, yes, thinking of what to do with my remaining Meyer Lemons, something occurred to me: perhaps the light citrus and floral notes of Meyer zest would carry well through a subtle goat cheese. This, friends, is how most of my recipes begin – thinking of single experience, matching it against an ingredient, and building outward from there.
So, it all started with Meyer Lemon goat cheese. So then what? I looked in the fridge and knew I had some nice pieces of brined chicken breast that I’d included in my batch from the night before (my “don’t steal my bike!” baked meyer lemon chicken).
I also knew I had a handful of washed and dried spinach from my CSA and one slice of prosciutto remaining from my last trip to Marcayk fine foods here in Denver.
Last but not least, I had one remaining onion roll from Turkish lamb burgers we’d made a week ago.
Add it up: Chicken, Prosciutto, Spinach, Meyer Lemon goat cheese. As Emeril might say….bam.
I first pan seared the chicken breasts, which moments before I’d flattened ever so slightly. I despite biting into a chicken sandwich only to be rewarded by an inch-and-a-half of chicken. In sandwiches, I’m a believer in most ingredients playing equal roles and being of equal proportion.
After searing the chicken breasts for several minute per side (probably about 4-5), I removed and tented with foil. Next – and for no particular reason – I turned to the goat cheese. I plopped two heaping tablespoons of the cheese in a bowl and then, with zester in hand, zested about 1 heaping tablespoon of lemon zest. I added a pinch of pepper and folded all the ingredients together before setting the mixture aside.
Next, I smashed one clove of garlic and set in the chicken saute pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When the garlic started to turn golden, I removed it and added the spinach, wilting it down with a pinch of salt over medium-low heat for about 2-3 minutes before removing to a plat.
Next, I tossed in the oblong slice of prosciutto and toasted it ever so slightly.
Lastly, I toasted the onion bun, spread the goat cheese mixture on the bottom bun and added the remaining ingredients: chicken breast, prosciutto, garlic spinach.
Et voila. A fabulous lunch in 15 minutes. The goat cheese mixture, though, was the real standout. If you like the idea of this, but aren’t in the mood for the sandwich, you might try the mixture tossed with pasta and crumbled pancetta, or spread on a piece of prosciutto and rolled up for an appetizer.
Enjoy.
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March 21st, 2010 @ 5:34 pm
Broiled-in-Extra-Virgin-Olive-Oil goat cheese is one of our favorite quick suppers. It never occurred to me to put lemon zest in it, although it now seems obvious. Thank goodness you figured it out and wrote about it!
Will have to try it for our next quick goat cheese smackerel.
The sammich sounds great, too, although I’m obviously fixated on your “zesty” goat cheese!