Red Pepper And White Bean Panzanella With Chicken Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S PANZANELLA

Steps:

• Pour bread into a large skillet and drizzle with 1/4 cup olive oil, working in batches if necessary. Cook and stir bread over medium heat, adding more oil as needed, until bread cubes are golden and crispy on the outside, 7 to 12 minutes.
• Sprinkle Parmigiano-Reggiano over the top of the bread cubes; cook and stir until cheese is melted onto bread, and bread is crispy on the outside but still chewy on the inside, 3 to 4 minutes more. Cool completely.
• Combine tomatoes, red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, sugar, salt, and black pepper together in a bowl until well-mixed. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature until flavors combine, about 20 minutes.
• Toss basil into tomato mixture; add bread cubes and stir. Let salad sit at room temperature 3 to 4 minutes; if the liquid is completely absorbed, add more vinegar and extra virgin olive oil to taste. Season with salt and black pepper.

PEA PANZANELLA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and place a baking sheet in the oven.
• Make the Panzanella Cubes: Heat the butter in a skillet over moderate heat until it begins to brown. Add the chopped garlic and stir briefly to release its fragrance. Add the chopped thyme. Stir to combine.
• Pour the butter mixture over the bread cubes in a bowl and toss briskly so butter coats cubes evenly. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the 2 cheeses and chopped basil. Place the bread cubes in a single layer on the preheated baking sheet, scraping all the seasonings over them. Bake until lightly brown and crunchy on the outside, but still soft on the inside, about 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
• Make the dressing: If using fresh peas, blanch them for 30 seconds in boiling water, then shock in ice water. Drain. In a stainless steel saucepan, simmer blanched peas or frozen peas and a pinch of salt in cream, until peas are tender, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer peas and cream to blender or food processor, add pinch of Vitamin C powder to retain bright green color, if desired. While blender or food processor is running, add chicken stock and olive oil and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Cool the puree in a bowl over an ice bath.
• Combine: In a large bowl, combine the toasted bread cubes and the pea puree. Stir to coat the bread. Add the cooked peas, scallions, and pecorino Toscano.
• Put the ring from a 10-inch spring form pan upside down on a large plate. Fill with the bread mixture, pressing it into place. Let stand, or refrigerate, for 30 minutes to 1 hour, then remove the ring. In a bowl, dress the spring greens with lemon juice, lemon zest and olive oil, to taste. Mound the greens lightly on top of the panzanella. Grate pecorino on top, to garnish.

GARLIC CHICKEN AND PEPPERS WITH BEANS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Heat the oil in a deep 6-quart flameproof casserole over medium-high heat. Add the bell peppers, cover, and cook over low heat until tender, 5 minutes. While these are cooking, remove the skin from the chicken pieces (except for the wings, where it is just too hard).
• Push the peppers to the side and add the chicken. Cook over medium heat just to stiffen the flesh, 2 minutes on each side. Remove the breast pieces from the casserole and set them aside. Add the wine, broth, garlic, and sage and bring the liquid to a simmer. Add 1 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Cover, transfer the casserole to the oven, and bake for 30 minutes.
• Return the breast meat to the casserole, and add the white and red beans. Continue to bake, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through, 15 minutes. While the chicken is cooking, coarsely chop the parsley.
• Serve the chicken in deep bowls, sprinkled with fresh parsley and swimming in all its lovely fragrant juices. Or, using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken and beans to a serving plate. Boil the juices down until only 2 cups remain, 3 to 4 minutes. Adjust the seasoning, stir in the parsley, and ladle the sauce over the chicken and beans.
• Time: 15 minutes preparation. 1 hour no-work baking time.

ROASTED RED PEPPER PANZANELLA

Steps:

• Preheat broiler. Toss bell peppers and 2 tablespoons oil on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Broil, turning occasionally, until skins are blackened in spots and blistered all over, 10-12 minutes. Transfer peppers to a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 400°F.
• Peel and seed peppers; cut into 2" strips.
• Toss peppers in a clean large bowl with onion, garlic, vinegar, red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon herbs, and 4 tablespoons oil; set aside.
• Toss bread and remaining 2 tablespoons oil on a clean baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Bake, tossing occasionally, until crisp on the outside but still chewy in the center, 8-10 minutes. Let croutons cool. Toss pepper mixture, salumi, and croutons in a large bowl. Arrange on a platter with cheese; top with remaining 1 tablespoon herbs.
• DO AHEAD: Peppers and croutons can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover peppers; chill. Store croutons airtight at room temperature.

PANZANELLA WITH GRILLED CHICKEN

Steps:

• To make the chicken, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and pepper in a large, shallow dish. Add the chicken and turn to coat on both sides. Marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours.
• To make the salad, toss the bread with enough water to moisten it completely. Let stand for 10 minutes. Squeeze out the excess water and coarsely chop the bread. Place in a bowl and toss with the tomatoes, onion, garlic, parsley and rosemary. Mix in the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Start a charcoal grill. Grill the chicken until just cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Slice the chicken on the diagonal into thin strips.
• Divide the salad among 6 plates. Fan the chicken over the salad and garnish with the basil. Serve immediately.

PANZANELLA WITH GRILLED CHICKEN

Steps:

• To make the chicken, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and pepper in a large, shallow dish. Add the chicken and coat on both sides. Marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours.
• To make the salad, toss the bread with just enough water to moisten it completely. Let stand for 10 minutes. Squeeze out the excess water and place in a bowl. Toss with the tomatoes, onion, garlic, parsley and rosemary. Mix in the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Store in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
• Start a charcoal grill. Grill the chicken until just cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Slice the chicken on the diagonal into thin strips.
• Divide the salad among 6 plates. Fan the chicken over the salad and garnish with the basil. Serve immediately.