1789. BABY BRIOCHES with CHICKEN SALAD and BACON

makes 16 hors d’oeuvres


4 slices of applewood-smoked bacon
16 mini brioche rolls (about 2 inches)
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 celery rib, minced
1/2 small shallot, minced
2 teaspoons minced flat-leaf parsley, plus 32 large flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 chicken breasts from a rotisserie chicken—skin and bones discarded, chicken cut into 1/3-inch dice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 small plum tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices (16 slices)

Preheat the oven to 325°. In a large skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat until browned and crisp all over, about 5 minutes. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain, then cut each slice into 4 pieces.

Using a paring knife, cut a 1-inch round plug out of the top of each brioche roll. Carefully hollow out the rolls. Set the rolls on a baking sheet and warm them in the oven to refresh them, about 5 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine the the mayonnaise, celery, shallot, minced parsley and lemon juice. Stir in the diced chicken and season the salad with salt and pepper.

Spoon 1 tablespoon of the chicken salad into each brioche roll, garnish with parsley leaves and cover with a tomato slice. Top each roll with 1 teaspoon of chicken salad, garnish with the bacon and serve.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Melissa Rubel Jacobson, "The Best Chicken Salad Recipes," Food & Wine, September 2008