A New Discovery by Chef Jamie Bordoshuk

A few weeks ago, we took our annual Fall road trip to Miami University in Oxford, Ohio to visit our daughter, Ellyn. This would be our last Parent’s Weekend at this picturesque campus and we were determined to make the most of it. After four years of coming to Oxford, we had experienced almost every restaurant in town for dinner with the exception of one – Quarter Barrel Brewery and Pub. They had an outdoor patio, it was a beautiful evening and the place was packed; the perfect dinner trifecta.

While waiting for our table and sipping my microbrew at the bar, I discovered another great thing about this place. Lavosh! Quarter Barrel was offering three different Lavosh options evening: Spinach and Artichoke, Bacon and Roasted Red Peppers and Margherita with Basil and Fresh Mozzarella. And, the waiters were bringing platters of them out just as fast as the kitchen could make them.

Suffice it to say, the Lavosh exceeded all expectations (we ended up ordering one of each – no way could we have picked just one). And, after devouring every last crumb on the plate, I knew what I had to do. Yup, I had to try my hand at recreating this delicious meal myself.

Lavosh is a round thin unleavened Armenian bread that is hard like a cracker. Traditionally the dough is rolled out flat and slapped against the hot walls of a clay oven. While quite flexible when fresh, Lavosh dries out quickly and becomes brittle and hard. The thickness of the bread varies and depends on how thin it’s rolled out. Kosher salt, toasted sesame seeds and/or poppy seeds can be sprinkled on before baking.

Well, after playing around, I came up with a chicken, caramelized onion and fresh mozzarella Lavosh, topped off with a drizzle of balsamic glaze. I bucked tradition a bit by making my Lavosh long and thin instead of the traditional round (it fit better on my pan), but the shape didn’t make a bit of difference. It was absolutely fantastic. And, my family’s reaction? Who needs traditional pizza when you can have Lavosh!

Lavosh Flatbread

Ingredients:
14 ½ ounces AP flour, approx. 2 ½ cups
1 t kosher salt
½ t sugar
2/3 cup water, plus additional if needed
1 egg
5 T butter, divided, melted and slightly cooled

Procedure:

1. Place the flour, salt and sugar into a food processor and pulse 3 to 4 times to combine ingredients.
2. In a measuring cup, whisk together the water, egg and 2 T of the melted butter.
3. With the food processor running, add the egg mixture thru the feed tube until a dough is formed. (add additional water by the teaspoon if needed)
4. Turn the dough out onto the counter, divide into thirds, cover with a towel and let dough rest 30 minutes.
5. Preheat overn 375.
6. Lightly butter (or use cooking spray) the back of a sheet pan, upside down on a surface that will prevent sliding.
7. Working with one ball at a time, place the dough on to the back side of the sheet pan and roll the dough out to an even 1/8 inch thickenss.
8. Gently stretch the edges of the dough so that fall slightly below the edge of the pan and hold the dough in place.
9. Lightly brush the dough with butter, place on middle rack and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.
10. Remove to cooling rack and repeat with remaining dough.

Grilled Chicken, Caramelized Onion and Mozzarella Lavosh

Ingredients:
1 cup cooked chicken breast, shredded
½ yellow onion, sliced
Extra virgin olive oil
2 T butter
1 t kosher salt
4 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced
1 t dried oregano
Balsamic glaze
2 lavosh flatbread pieces

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. In a large skillet, add onions, butter, and salt and sauté until caramelized, approx. 20-25 minutes.
3. Lightly brush lavosh with olive oil.
4. Evenly distribute the chicken, caramelized onion and mozzarella over lavosh, sprinkle with oregano and bake for 5 -7 minutes until the cheese is melted.
5. Cool slightly and drizzle with balsamic glaze and cut into pieces.