a brush with greatness

One day recently Matt brought home Tom Colicchio's cookbook from his sandwich joint, 'wichcraft. Seeing as we are both sandwich fans and Top Chef fans, it was a match made in heaven. And I feel like some of his incredible food knowledge may rub off on me if I make some of his recipes!

This past week I made two of the sandwiches and both were knock-outs. On the first, a roasted turkey sandwich, I cut corners a bit by using sliced deli turkey instead of roasting my own turkey breast. Can you believe that the grocery store was all out of whole turkey breasts? Next time (and there will be a next time) I will try to roast my own meat. Anyway, it was still delicious, so if you wanted a quicker meal, I would wholeheartedly recommend using some good-quality deli turkey.

The onion marmalade is delicious, similar to a caramelized onion jam I made to go with Thanksgiving leftovers, but with that great balsamic flavor. A few days after I made the onions, I found another use for the marmalade, Brunch Burgers from the Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy blog. Definitely on my "to make" list.


Roasted Turkey with Avocado, Bacon, Balsamic Onion Marmalade, and Mayonnaise

from 'wichcraft by Tom Colicchio

6 sage leaves
1 (3- to 4- pound) boneless turkey breast
2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 slices bacon
4 ciabatta rolls (I used slices of a country French sourdough loaf)
1/2 cup Balsamic Onion Marmalade (below)
1 ripe avocado, pitted, peeled, and sliced
4 tbsp mayonnaise

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Slide the sage leaves under the skin of the turkey breast and place the turkey on a sheet pan. Rub the skin with butter and season generously with salt and pepper. Roast the turkey with 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Baste the meat with its juices throughout. (Keep in mind that the meat will continue to cook even after it's removed from the oven, so be careful not to cook it too long.) Allow the meat to rest before slicing, or cool completely.

In a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until golden brown and crisp on both sides. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Slice the ciabatta rolls in half. Place the turkey slices on the bottom halves and top with the marmalade. Place the bottom and top halves of the rolls in the 350 degree oven and remove once the marmalade is heated through and the bread is toasted. Top the marmalade with the bacon, followed by the avocado. Evenly spread the mayonnaise on the top halves of the rolls. Close the sandwiches, cut into halves, and serve.

Balsamic Onion Marmalade

1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 medium onions, thinly sliced (about 8 cups)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup balsamic vinegar

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it slides easily across the pan. Add the onions, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes, until the onions are soft.

Add the sugar and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, until the onions appear dry.

Add the vinegar and reduce the heat to low. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour, until the onions are soft and dry.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Store the marmalade in the refrigerator. It will keep for several weeks.