Fresh Focaccia With Marinated Chicken And Spinach And Artichoke Spread Recipes

Steps:

• Squeeze the drained spinach with a kitchen towel to dry it out. Place into a food processor with the sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, lemon zest and juice. Puree until smooth. Taste for seasoning and add the artichokes. Pulse 2 to 3 times to leave the artichokes slightly chunky.

Steps:

• Stir together the artichokes, spinach, sour cream, fontina and Parmesan in a bowl. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
• Preheat a grill pan or panini press on medium heat.
• Spread the artichoke mixture on all the slices of bread. Place 1 layer of chicken on 4 of the bread slices, then top each with a couple of layers of roasted red peppers. Top with the remaining bread. Brush the outside of each sandwich with some olive oil.
• Place the sandwiches on the grill pan or in the panini press. If using a grill pan, place a cast-iron skillet or brick wrapped in foil on top of the sandwiches to weigh them down. Cook, flipping halfway through, until golden brown and the cheese is melted and gooey in the center, 3 to 5 minutes per side. If using a panini press cook 6 to 10 minutes total.

Steps:

• Fill a large pot with cold water and squeeze 3 of the lemons into it (this is known as acidulated water). Keep it off the heat for now. The cut artichoke hearts have to head straight into the lemon water to keep them from browning.
• Trim the artichokes: Lay an artichoke on its side and trim the brown woody tip of the stem. Using a very sharp or serrated knife, cut the top one-third of the thorny artichoke leaves off, leaving a flattened top. Use your hands to tear off the toughest outermost leaves from around the bottom of the artichoke, leaving most of the leaves untouched. Lay the artichoke on the board again and this time cut it in half lengthwise, from stem to top. Using a paring knife or a peeler, carefully peel off the outermost layer of the stem. Use a spoon to scrape away the inedible furry choke in the center of the artichoke. Voila-you have an artichoke heart! Quick, put it in the acidulated water. Repeat to trim the rest of the artichokes.
• Poach the artichokes: Add more water to the pot if needed to cover the artichokes. Season the water with 3 tablespoons salt. Place the pot over medium-low heat and bring the water to a simmer. Poach the artichokes for about 15 minutes, or until they're easily pierced with the tip of a knife. Drain the artichokes. Transfer them to a large bowl and set aside.
• Marinate the artichokes: In a large saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic halves cut-side down and sear them until lightly golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the thyme and tarragon. Squeeze the remaining 3 lemons into the pan and throw in the squeezed lemon halves as well. Add the wine and simmer on high heat until it has reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining 4 cups olive oil and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring the marinade to a boil, then turn off the heat.
• Carefully pour the hot marinade over the artichokes and stir to combine. Transfer the artichokes and marinade to mason jars with lids or airtight containers and refrigerate. Marinate for at least 1 hour, but ideally overnight, before serving. Store them in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.