Baby Brioches With Chicken Salad & Bacon

The classic chicken salad can be bolstered with any number of seasonings from curry powder or mustard to harissa. To turn these two-bite snacks into mini sandwiches, cut the brioche rolls in half, mound the chicken salad, tomato and bacon inside and secure with toothpicks.

• Ready In: 25 mins
• Yields: 16 Hors d'ouvres

Ingredients

• 3  slices  apple-smoked bacon
• 16  small  brioche rolls (about 2 inches)
• 1⁄2 cup mayonnaise
• 1  celery rib, minced
• 1⁄2 small shallot, minced
• 2  teaspoons  minced flat leaf parsley
• 32  leaves flat leaf parsley
• 1  teaspoon lemon juice (the real stuff, not the bottled kind)
• 2  chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch dice (from a rotisserie chicken, skin & bones removed)
•  kosher salt, to taste
•  fresh ground black pepper, to taste
•  hot pepper sauce (we use Pickapeppa sauce) (optional)
• 2  small plum tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices (16 slices)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325ºF.
2. In a large skillet cook the bacon over moderate heat until browned and crisp all over, about 5 minutes.
3. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain; cut each slice into 4 pieces.
4. Using a pairing knife, cut a 1" round plug out of the top of each brioche roll.
5. Carefully hollow out the rolls; set the rolls on a baking sheet and warm them in the oven to refresh them, about 5 minutes.
6. In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, celery, shallot, minced parsley and lemon juice.
7. Stir in the diced chicken and season the salad with salt and pepper and if you want - here is where you should add your hot sauce - about 5 minute.
8. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the chicken salad into each brioche roll, garnish with parsley leaves and cover with a tomato slice; then garnish with bacon.
9. **The chicken salad can be prepared up to 2 days in advance; cover and refrigerate.