Comforting Foods

What makes comfort food a comfort? Is it just a dish that makes the person eating it feel better? Tonight, I comforted my family with Grilled Bruschetta and a damn fine Chicken Marsala. It was so fine that my daughter, who has always declared popcorn chicken to be the only acceptable form of chicken, was eating the grilled chicken and making these sounds of pleasure that are normally reserved for the likes of warm apple turnovers and my decadent dark chocolate frosting. She makes being a picky eater into a sport where she intends to win the gold medal at every meal. I'm not sure what changed her perception. Maybe it was because I allowed her to slice mushrooms with a sharp knife, or cut up cold butter to stir into to the Marsala sauce, or because I handed her a tiny piece of grilled chicken and told her it would taste just like popcorn chicken without the breading (I've tried that fib on more than one occasion, but she would not be convinced). Whatever it was, she began eating the grilled chicken breast as quickly as she could make room in her mouth for another bite. Six years into her life of eating solid foods, I've discovered that salt and pepper seasoned grilled chicken is as comforting to me as any thick stew or creamy pasta dish that she might one day appreciate.
Today, I listened to my daughter's dentist tell me the good news (it's not a cavity) and then the bad news (might need to pull a perfectly good baby molar to make way for a permanent molar which is causing her pain in its current position). With my yin seriously outweighing my yang, imagine my surprise at finding contentment in something someone else was eating. Now THAT is comfort food.

GRILLED BRUSCHETTA
6  Roma tomatoes, diced small
1 1/2 TBSP fresh basil, coarsely chopped
1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil (the dark, first-press oil is preferred here)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Pinch of kosher salt
Black pepper to taste
Couple twists of Italian seasoning from a grinder (optional, but recommended if you can find it - it's rosemary, oregano, garlic, onion & tomato)
Demi loaf of crusty Italian bread, sliced into 1/2" slices
Except for the bread, mix together ingredients in a bowl. Leave at room temp for an hour to allow the flavors to marry.
Brush the bread generously with extra virgin olive oil on both sides. Grill the bread until toasted.
Top with a generous scoop of the tomato mixture, eat over your plate, and don't miss a morsel.

CHICKEN MARSALA
4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts, pounded to an even thickness
Salt and pepper to season
1/4 cup finely diced onion
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, julienne into thin strips
8 ounces white mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons clarified butter, divided *
1 cup dry Marsala wine
1/2 cup chicken stock or broth
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into thin slices
Extra virgin olive oil
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brush with clarified butter and grill approximately 4 minutes per side or until cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Move chicken to a warm plate. In a skillet add the other half of the clarified butter, onion, prosciutto and mushrooms. Add a little olive oil if you want or need to keep your 'shrooms from sticking. Cook for about  2 minutes, then add the wine and stock, and deglaze the pan. Simmer until Marsala wine and stock is reduced by more than half.
Reduce heat and add cold butter. When butter has melted and sauce is creamy, add grilled chicken to pan and adjust taste for salt and pepper. Serve chicken over hot, buttered egg noodles with mushroom sauce on top.
4 servings

*Over low heat, warm up butter until it melts and separates. Spoon off the milk solids, and divide clarified butter for use. It's the solids that will burn and stick on a grill. Clarified butter keeps chicken looking fabulous.


Be Fearless in the Kitchen!
~AJ