Grilled Cacciatore Panini
Maximize the grill for paninis with grilled chicken, mushrooms, onions, charred peppers, tomatoes and mozzarella. Italian Sangria is a refreshing accompaniment.
Ingredients
- 2 large red peppers
- 1/3 cup dry red wine
- 3-4 sprigs rosemary, leaves finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 large cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 large or 4 medium portobello mushroom caps
- 1 large sweet onion or red onion, thickly sliced
- 4 plum tomatoes
- 8 thin slices of smoked fresh mozzarella cheese
- 4 ciabatta rolls, split
- A handful flat leaf parsley
- Olive oil potato chips
Preparation
Heat an outdoor grill or grill pan to high. If cooking indoors, char the peppers over an open gas flame on the stovetop or under a hot broiler. Char the peppers until blackened all over, then put them in bowl and cover with plastic wrap to cool. If cooking outside, char the peppers over the hot area of the grill.
Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the wine, rosemary, red pepper flakes, garlic and mustard. With the processor running, slowly stream in the EVOO to make a marinade. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the chicken to a resealable plastic bag and pour in a third of the marinade and turn to coat. Add the mushrooms and onions to a small bowl and pour in the remaining marinade.
Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill for 12 minutes. Grill the mushrooms and onions until tender, about 8-10 minutes, and char the tomatoes during the last 3-4 minutes of cooking time.
Remove the chicken from the grill to a cutting board and slice on an angle. Serve 1 1/2 thighs per person or 1 breast per person. Pile the chicken on the roll bottoms.
Top the chicken with the smoked cheese, sliced grilled mushrooms and onions and the squished fire-charred tomatoes. Peel, seed and chop the peppers, then put them on top of the tomatoes. Sprinkle with a little parsley and cover with the roll tops.
If you're felling ambitious, you can puree the peppers in food processor to make them saucy. Serve the panini with olive oil potato chips alongside.
