Homemade Chicken, Brie, and Fig Sandwich with caramelized onion on brioche: comfort-food heaven
Chicken, Brie, and Fig Sandwich on Brioche
Course: Lunch4
sandwiches4
Ingredients
4 tbs olive oil, divided, plus more as needed
1 medium yellow onion
Salt and pepper
2 chicken breasts
Coarsely ground pepper
4 brioche or ciabatta hamburger buns
8 oz. brie, sliced
4 oz. fig jam
Arugula
Directions
- Cook the onions in 2 Tbs oil over a medium flame (setting 4 out of 9), stirring every 4-5 minutes, ramping down to med-low (setting 2) as they start to brown, and stirring every 2-3 minutes. Once you’ve lowered the flame, add a pinch of salt. Cook until they’ve caramelized to your liking. (My liking takes about a half-hour, start to finish.) Remove to small bowl.
- Add remaining 2 Tbs oil to the unwashed pan, and cook the chicken in it over medium heat (setting 4), seasoning it well with salt and pepper as you do. Use a spatter guard. Cook the chicken 4 minutes per side. Once both sides are browned, lower the heat to medium-low (setting 2). Flip the chicken, replace the spatter screen with a solid cover, wait two minutes, and take the chicken’s temperature. Continue flipping, covering, and temperature-taking until the chicken comes to 160F. If the chicken looks like it might brown too much, stand the breasts on their sides and prop them up along the edge of the pan. Do not let the pan dry out; add oil as necessary.
- Toast the buns. Distribute the onion among the four bottom buns (or use less, to taste). Slice the chicken, and distribute it among the four sandwiches. Top it with brie. Run the bottoms under a broiler to melt the brie. Sprinkle generously with pepper. Arrange lots and lots arugula on top of the peppered, melted brie. Divide the fig jam and spread it onto the top buns to complete the sandwiches.
This really is one hell of a sandwich. Chicken and brie get on so well, they’re like young lovers who can’t get enough of one another. The onion, pepper, and arugula make it seem grounded, the fig makes it enviable, and the brioche elevates the whole situation into something sonnet-worthy.
Social Learning
There’s not much to learn here, except that with this sandwich, more is more. Slather on the jam, go heavy on the onion and cheese.
If you can’t make your own brioche buns, the ones they sell at Whole Foods or Mariano’s are fine. 😉
The Backstory
My favorite movie theater went belly up during the pandemic.
My husband works in TV production, and he loves films. I do too, but for him it’s more of a passion. When the Golden Globe nominations come out, we try to see as many of the nominated films as we can. I know it sounds crazy, but it does give a bit of a lift to the darkness of midwinter. If the Academy nominates movies that the Globes didn’t, we try to catch those, too. Within reason. And although his and my definitions of “within reason” differ, I will not hesitate to tell you that almost every film we see via this process – even if it would not’ve been something I would have thought interesting, and would likely not have otherwise chosen to see, and even if I had to be dragged to the theater to see it – turns out to be outstanding. Even if you come away from it thinking, “That wasn’t for me,” you nevertheless can just about always see why it deserved a nomination. Most of the time, you wind up seeing nothing but a stream of fantastic films. (And as an added bonus, we absolutely slay Oscar party ballots.)
Occasionally, “within reason” means a “double feature date night,” seeing two movies with a couple of drinks apiece and dinner in between. The former theater I mentioned made this easy in that it also had a bar. A big bar in a separate room, with pool tables and occasional live music. It was a very good bar that served fantastic cocktails and surprisingly nice food. They made a chicken sandwich that was so good, I ordered it every single time.
A national chain has reopened that theater now, and like every corporation to ever be depicted in a Hallmark movie, they’ve sadly nixed everything that was special about the old place, including the bar. So, I sadly had to come to grips with the fact that if I ever want to have that sandwich again, I’ll need to make it myself. Actually, not so sad when you come to think about it, since I reverse-engineered the recipe pretty quickly and now I can have one whenever I want.
And then, I’m just brainstorming here 😉 😉 but if you wanted to sneak one of these sandwiches – which are just fine at room temp – into the movies, you could, in theory anyway, place it in into container that will just barely accomodate it, so that the sandwich is held firmly in place without being crushed. A container that size – I surmise – would slip easily into the right pocket of your oversized winter jacket. For my – oops, I mean “your” – other pocket, there are these very small 1-oz., 2-oz, and 3.75 oz. watertight containers which, during the week are for condiments or salad dressing that one might pack in their work lunch, but on the weekends could – could, mind you – be filled with the whiskey, rum, gin, or tequilla that one could conceivably pour into the Coke Zero that one buys at the theater concesssions.
Chicken, Brie, and Fig Sandwich on Brioche
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I just made Brioche buns and this sandwich sounds exactly like something I will love. I can’t wait to give it a try.
I had to laugh at the part of sneaking in the sandwich and maybe a drink or two because we have been known to do that as well.
Have a great week Jeff!
Haha! GMTA!
Chicken, brie, fig…you have managed all the great stuff in one sandwich..I like to use soft enriched buns to make burgers and sandwiches too.
angiesrecipes recently posted…Baked Quail Eggs in Coconut Milk with Truffle Butter
Thanks, Angie!
Una combinación de ingredientes deliciosa y muy acertada, pues al queso brie le van también muy bien los sabores dulces de la mermelada y la cebolla caramelizada.
Qué pena que cerrara el cine, pues los cines antiguos tenían todo el encanto del que carecen los nuevos. Al menos pudiste replicar su bocadillo.
Isabel
DE DULZANGAS, COMIDITAS Y OTRAS ZARANDAJAS recently posted…Ensalada de quinoa, edamame y granada
Thank you, Isabel. And I couldn’t agree with you more.
Hahahahahaha! Great tips! Too bad about that theatre. But that is one great sandwich. Onions, brie, and fig jam are a perfect match!
Thanks, Mimi!
This sandwich looks awesome!! I’d be beyond happy having one of these while enjoying a movie.
Right? Thanks!
When I read the title, I thought it was somewhat of an usual pairing, but as usual when reading through, it looks like a absolute delicious combination. Very creative.
Thanks, Judy!
Brie on a bun? I’m in! Sounds delish Jeff!
🙂
Molto invitante questo super panino, lo mangerei anche ora a merenda!!!
Thank you!
This sandwich is a show stopper Jeff! Apart from being absolutely gorgeous, every component of the sandwich is complementary and delicious. 😋 I’m so sorry to hear this lovely movie theater didn’t make it through the pandemic. But how great that you can recreate this amazing sandwich at home. I’m sure it’d be a hit at Oscar parties!
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Your description of this sandwich makes it impossible not to want it. Desperately. YUM! 🙂 ~Valentina
Valentina recently posted…Slow Roasted Red Onions
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Sounds like a good plan to sneak it into the theatre. What a bummer they messed up your perfect spot!
Heather recently posted…{Shopping} Back At Aldi
I know – bummer for them, though. Now we just leave ample time to go to a nearby restaurant.
A cracking looking sandwich Jeff. And those fillings, tasty fried onions, brie and fig jam what a tasty combination!
Neil recently posted…Chicken And Halloumi Pasta Bake
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Nice combination of flavors, Jeff!
Thank you, Frank!
This combination blows me away! I have brioche dough rising to make buns (for burgers tonight and this sandwich tomorrow). And tomorrow, I’ll get some goat Brie at the farmers market. I’ll use my summer fig jam (with a touch of lime and ginger). I can’t wait, Jeff!
Haha! Nice!
It looks decadent with all the rich flavorful ingredients.
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My mouth is wtering just reading the recipe. I have to admit, I wouldn’t take it into a theater, this sandwich deserve undivided attention.
Well, you do have a point there. And it is at its best when still warm. Thank God there’s Netflix!
C’est très gourmand avec ce fromage
Bonne soirée
Thank you, Delphine!
What a dreamy sandwich! I usually have leftover Brie when we have a dinner party, so this will become my next day lunch!!
You wouldn’t have leftover brie if you invited me! 😉
de quoi ce régaler avec ce superbe sandwich, qui n’a que de bon ingrédients!!
bonne semaine
Thank you so much, Josette!
il a l’air délicieux ce burger ! miam :p
Thank you, Sandrine!
Hahaha! Is that a sandwich in your pocket, Jeff? It sounds like you might have tried this…I mean how else do you know so much about it!? We’ve snuck some things into movie theaters before, too. (Our low point was 2 mini bottles of wine. Normally not a big deal…until you set one on the floor and realize the floor is slanted. That bottle rolled all the way to the front of the theater clanging all the way down…yeah. That happened.)
In other news, this sandwich sounds fantastic!!
David @ Spiced recently posted…Slow Cooker Wild Rice
Hahahah! That must’ve been hysterical! We should definitely go to the movies together sometime. I’ve snuck entire meals in.
I will definitely slather on the jam and pile on the onions. I love sandwich toppings! Brie is one that I tend to only like cooked, so I like that this goes in the broiler for a few before serving. A+ recipe!
Theresa recently posted…Orange Zested Granola
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I love the addition of fig jam on this sandwich – sounds so so yummy!
Amy (Savory Moments) recently posted…Easy layered taco dip
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WOW, my family would enjoy such a sandwich
It’s a really good sandwich!