Turkish Chicken Pide
Turkish Pide are "bread boats" made with an easy to prep dough. These are filled with creamy goats cheese and mozzarella, shredded oven baked chicken breast, onions, peppers, and the most enticing Turkish spice mix, including paprika, red pepper flakes, sumac, and oregano.
Ingredients
Pide Dough from Ozlem's Turkish Table
Pide Filling
- 2 large bone-in chicken breasts
- 2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for chicken breasts and drizzling over pide
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 2 hot peppers (Chinese or Turkish), chopped
- 4 oz. goats cheese, at room temperature
- 4 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded or sliced
- salt, black pepper, red pepper, sumac, paprika to taste on chicken breasts and over pide
- ½ bunch parsley, chopped
- 1 egg yolk
Instructions
For the Dough
- Prepare the Pide dough per Ozlem's Turkish Table recipe above.
For the Chicken Filling
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Rub olive oil over chicken breasts, along with spices to desired taste. With bone in chicken, it is best to use a roasting pan with a rack, or improvise like me and place your broiler rack over a baking sheet covered in foil. The drippings keep the bottom of the breasts from getting greasy and cooks the chicken all the way through.
- In a saucepan with 2 tbsps of olive oil heated over medium heat, saute the onions and peppers until they soften slightly (they should still have form) for about 5-6 minutes. Let drain over paper towels and set aside.
- Bake the chicken breasts at 450 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 160 degrees. Tent and cool the chicken for at least 15 minutes, and shred the chicken breast meat (and skin!) using forks or your hands until in small, even pieces. Combine with the onions and peppers in a medium heated saucepan for a minute or two to combine the flavors.
To Assemble
- Lightly spray two baking sheets that are lined with parchment paper with cooking spray.
- Once the dough has proofed, split the dough into three pieces. Ozlem makes two pide per recipe, but I preferred slightly smaller pide.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Once the dough is divided, roll each piece out on a lightly floured surface into a rough oval shape. This does not have to be perfect since the ends will be twisted together. The dough should be approximately ¼ inch thick.
- Lightly drizzle the pide with olive oil. Spread the room temperature goats cheese over the pide, making sure to always leave at least a one inch border for folding the pide. You do not want to over fill.
- Over the goats cheese, sprinkle the mozzarella, followed by the onions and peppers.
- Now, sprinkle the shredded chicken even over the pide, followed by any additional spice you want--do not over salt, since both cheeses have salt. Sprinkle some parsley and drizzle with olive oil.
- Time to fold: brush the outer edges of the pide with olive oil. Gently pick up the edges and fold them over the pide all the way around the shape. The folds should be about ½ inch deep.
- At both ends, squeeze and slightly twist the extra dough and fold under a bit if too much excess is present. Carefully, lift each pide onto the baking sheets. Feel free to brush the folded crust with additional butter, or egg yolk.
- Bake the pide for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese is melted evenly and the crust is golden brown. Allow to cool on a baking rack for at least 10 minutes. Enjoy this beautiful and yet light version of a classic Turkish dish.
