I saw this on Rachael Ray and thought her version, in which she used cod wrapped in prosciutto, sounded gross. She did say you can also use chicken, so I switched some things around and the result was surprisingly tasty!!
Ingredients
4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of all fat and cut in half
1/2 of a red onion, cut into thin strips
2 bulbs of anise, top cut off, core removed, cut into thin strips
1 stalk of celery, chopped
2 bay leaves
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1-14 oz. can low sodium chicken broth
4 cups tomato sauce
1/2 cup white wine
1 loaf of ciabatta bread, split lengthwise and then split the halves (4 pieces total)
1 Tablespoon dried tarragon
1 Tablespoon dried basil
2 Tablespoons dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400.
Heat two tablespoons of the olive oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot add the chicken and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Cook the chicken until browned on both sides. Transfer skillet to oven until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink, about 10 minutes.
On a large cookie sheet, brush each of the four pieces of ciabatta with olive oil. Sprinkle with half of the minced garlic, spreading evenly over the bread. Place in oven to toast until golden brown.
Heat the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil in another large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, anise, and celery and cook until tender. Add the bay leaves and garlic and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the chicken broth and white wine and reduce heat to simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, tarragon, basil, and parsely. When it begins to bubble, reduce heat and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes for the flavors to infuse. Remove from heat and remove and discard bay leaves.
To serve use a layering method on a deep plate. On the bottom is one piece of ciabatta, on top of that is a piece of chicken, and then smother it all with the tomato sauce/veggie mixture.
