One of my very favorite restaurants in all of the Seattle area is DERU Market in Kirkland. It’s a catering business/bakery/restaurant all in one and makes the most amazing bread, cakes, sandwiches, pizzas, breakfasts, everything. Since we moved to a new town last summer we now live 45 minutes away and I still make the drive regularly because it’s WORTH IT. And they’ve been open throughout COVID and converted to a drive-through operation and it’s amazing.

Their focaccia is to die for. I could eat an entire loaf and call if a meal. They make all of their sandwiches on that perfect focaccia and this roasted chicken and goat cheese version is one of my favorites. And since I can’t have it as often and I want, I decided it was time to recreate it at home. I bought focaccia from a local baker at our farmers market. Homemade focaccia is high on my list of recipes to conquer at home, but for now, I still buy it. (If you’re local to Seattle, Essential Baking Company has an excellent focaccia you can buy at various grocery stores -including Whole Foods- in the area.)

Alongside the focaccia, the other essential parts of this sandwich are creamy goat cheese spread (don’t bother with crumbles- they’re pretty dry and it won’t be the same), shredded rotisserie chicken (by all means you can roast your own chicken but store bought ones are delicious and so easy!), fresh peppery arugula, herb aioli (DERU makes theirs from scratch- I used prepared mayo as a shortcut and added lemon, garlic, and fresh herbs), and red onion jam. Recreating the red onion jam was the hardest part but I think it turned out just right. Most recipes I referenced called for a lot of red wine, which I’ve never bought/used so I opted for a bit of red wine vinegar. The slow-caramelized red onions are also simmered in balsamic vinegar and brown sugar. The jam is thick and tangy and sweet.

Last, I would like to note that this sandwich tastes better than it looks. Not that I’ve ever been a great photographer but it’s getting really hard to take a decent picture of anything now that it’s dark before dinnertime! So just trust me on this one. And if you’re in the area and have a chance to try DERU market, please invite me along!

Roasted Chicken Focaccia Sandwich with Goat Cheese, Red Onion Jam, and Herb Aioli

INGREDIENTS

rotisserie chicken (light and dark meat), shredded
handful baby arugula
focaccia, sliced horizontally
creamy goat cheese spread (I used La Bonne Vie spreadable goat cheese, Trader Joes also has a goat cheese spread)
extra fresh herbs (parsley, dill, and chives), chopped for garnish

Herb Aioli:
6 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. lemon zest
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh chives
1 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh dill
pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Red Onion Jam:
1 Tbsp. butter (or olive oil)
2 large red onions, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
pinch freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
3 Tbsp. brown sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. To make the red onion jam, heat the butter (or olive oil) in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced red onions, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, for about 20 minutes until soft and caramelized (turning down the heat as necessary to prevent browning). Stir in the vinegars and brown sugar and cook over low heat another 10 minutes to reduce and thicken. Adjust salt and pepper to taste if necessary. Onion jam can be refrigerated until ready to use.
2. To make the herb aioli, in a small bowl, whisk to combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice and zest, garlic, herbs, and salt and pepper. Adjust seasoning to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.
3. Preheat oven to 400 F. Place the bottom slice of focaccia on a baking sheet and spread with goat cheese. Top the goat cheese with a thick layer of onion jam. Top the jam with shredded rotisserie chicken, seasoning it with a bit of salt and pepper and sprinkling with some extra fresh herbs. Spread a generous amount of aioli over the bottom of the top slice of focaccia and place on top of the sandwich. Cover the sandwich loosely with aluminum foil and bake for approx. 15-20 minutes until the sandwich is warmed through, uncovering for the last few minutes to crisp the top. Add a handful of fresh arugula to the sandwich, slice, and serve.

Makes enough aioli and jam for ~4 large sandwiches.

(Herb aioli adapted from Savory Experiments and red onion jam from Feed Your Sole)