Bruschetta is Italian toast rubbed with garlic and olive oil, with toppings such as tomatoes, onions, and mozzarella. Chicken bruschetta is made with fresh olive oil and can be grilled, battered, or baked, and served with pasta or potatoes. Other variations include different meats, vegetables, and cheeses.
Bruschetta, pronounced “Broo-sketta,” is Italian toast doused in olive oil and rubbed with fresh garlic. Over the centuries, the usual preparation has evolved to include toppings such as mozzarella, chopped tomatoes, onions, basil, and balsamic vinegar. These ingredients don’t just have to smother the toast though, as they fit just as neatly atop a dish like chicken bruschetta – prepared on the grill, battered or baked for a hearty meal paired with pasta or potatoes.
The key ingredient to chicken bruschetta or the simple version is the fresh extra virgin olive oil used to coat it. Originating in the central Tuscany region of Italy, this term, which means “toast,” was once just a way to refer to the garlic bread used to sport the local olive oil. Through the generations, however, chefs have added a salad dressing that has made this style of bread more distinct, from fresh red onions, tomatoes and basil to balsamic vinegar and thick slices of mozzarella. As the ingredients are still quite simple, their freshness is of the utmost importance.
Many prepare chicken bruschetta unboiled in the pan or on the grill, in boneless strips or breasts. After the bruschetta is chopped, tossed in the balsamic vinegar and olive oil, and seasoned with salt and pepper, it’s set aside, often up to overnight. When ready, the chicken is salted, peppered and grilled until cooked through. The bruschetta salad can then be combined with chunks of mozzarella and topped with a spoonful of chicken.
For added texture, others coat their chicken bruschetta in a batter of flour, egg, and breadcrumbs soaked in butter and Parmesan. These can then be fried or baked – at about 375°F (about 191°C) for 20 minutes covered, then about 10 minutes more uncovered to crisp the breading. About five minutes before finally removing the chicken from the oven, bruschetta ingredients can be spooned onto the chicken for a quick meld of flavors.
Chicken bruschetta isn’t the only alternative to enhance these traditional Italian flavours. Some chefs prepare a few varieties of bruschetta for diners to choose from, on different types of bread. The most recognizable additions to this food include meats such as ham, chopped olives or capers, other vegetables such as scallions or bell peppers, and other herbs such as mint, parsley or dill. The cheese doesn’t have to be mozzarella either. Romano, Parmesan, goat cheese or Ricotta are often used instead.
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