- Season chicken with salt and pepper, and place in ziplock bag along with chili pepper, minced onion, BBQ sauce, and Montreal chicken seasoning. Cook for two hours at 155 degrees. If using a slow cooker, add ingredients to pot, cover, and cook on high for 5-6 hours or low for 7-8 hours. When finished, remove and allow chicken to chill before tearing or chopping into fine pieces.
- Prep fennel. Slice and season with light olive oil, salt, and pepper. Stock grill with wood chips, place fennel in a perforated pan, and smoke for 45 minutes at 225 degrees. Or begin to smoke on the stove, and finish in 300 degree oven for 20 minutes.
- Cut red onion into 1-inch rings. Season with oil, salt, and pepper. Grill on each side for 2-3 minutes, until grill marks are evident. Place in bowl and cover for 10 minutes.
- Quarter tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. Roast in oven for about 10 minutes.
- Make BBQ aioli. Mix ½ c mayo with minced garlic, minced red onion, chili flakes, and BBQ sauce. Set aside.
- Mix chicken salad slaw. Once fennel is finished cooking (it should be soft), julienne by slicing into fine strips. In a mixing bowl, add 1 c shaved cabbage, smoked fennel, 3 tbsp julienned red onion, 1 tbsp chopped parsley, minced garlic, ½ c julienned red peppers, ½ c mayo, chipotle flakes, apple cider vinegar, and honey. Add grilled red onions and julienned chicken, and mix until fully incorporated.
- Slice focaccia bun, add a touch of olive oil to each side and toast.
- Assemble sandwich. Spread BBQ aioli on bottom bun, add layer of arugula and roasted tomatoes, followed by a good helping of chicken salad slaw. Top with BBQ aioli and top half of bun.
City: Philadelphia, PA
Pastrami Reuben
- Begin to caramelize onions. Melt 2 tbsp butter in medium-sized skillet. Add sliced onion, salt, and pepper. Allow to simmer on low heat, about 45 minutes.
- Chop cabbage into super fine shavings. Repeat with red onions, green onions, and chives. Grate carrots. Mix about 2 cups of the cabbage shavings with the caramelized onions, remaining veggies, vinegar, mayo, honey, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Prepare the dressing, mixing all listed ingredients together in a dish. Set aside.
- Prepare avocado butter, mixing avocado with softened butter. Spread on one side of both slices of bread and toast in a skillet.
- Add camembert and sharp provolone cheese to both slices of bread. Let cheese melt, then remove from heat.
- Add thick layer of pastrami to one of the grilled cheese breads. Top with slaw and a large spoonful of thousand island dressing. Top with second layer of grilled cheese bread.
- Place the sandwich back in the skillet, and let heat bring all the the flavors together. Remove and serve.
Brian Duffy
Born and raised in Philadelphia, PA, Chef Brian Duffy had his first experiences in the kitchen as a child with his big Irish-Italian family. Those experiences introduced him to culinary life and led him to study at Philadelphia’s The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College. Duffy spent time at a variety of culinary gigs before forming the “Duffified Experience Group,” a consulting firm, in 2012. The group has allowed Duffy to advise restaurant and bar owners and operators around the globe. His success led him to what he is most recognized for: his abundant television appearances. He’s been a mainstay on Spike TV’s Bar Rescue, and has appeared on countless segments on Food Network, DIY Network, HGTV, NBC, and Fine Living Network. In 2016, Duffy opened Flying Fish Crafthouse, an urban American gastropub in his hometown of Philly, where he is head chef. He’s also recently created “Duffified Live,” a podcast with an over-the-top approach to eating, drinking, and traveling.