Chicken challenge Day 4 – Chicken Salad Sandwich with mayo and pomegranate seeds

This is still part of the chicken challenge.  Basically, I am trying to use as much as possible of a whole chicken and see how many meals I can get out of any leftovers.  I didn’t have much left and at first thought a toasted chicken and mayo sandwich will go down a treat.

Then I came across this recipe by Christina Bowerman and this chef elevated the humble chicken sandwich to something totally glam, like something you will find in one of those high-end cafes.

It looks delicious and is delicious!  I think using this to make the traditional “snitter” will also be something different and will look beautiful on your serving platter.

Bon Apéttit!

You’ll need

  • CHICKEN
  • 1 x boneless and skinless chicken breast
  • 1lt x water, plus extra for steaming
  • 20g x salt
  • 10g x sugar
  • SALAD FILLING
  • ½ x Granny Smith apple, diced
  • 1 x celery stick, diced
  • ½ x orange, zested
  • 1 Tbsp x mustard (I used Dijon)
  • 4 Tbsp x mayonnaise
  • TO ASSEMBLE
  • 2 x ciabatta buns
  • 2 tsp x pomegranate seeds
  • 2 tsp x chopped walnuts
  • alfalfa sprouts

Method

  1. Begin by brining the chicken. Combine the water, salt and sugar together in a large bowl and stir well to combine. Place the chicken breast in the bowl and leave to brine for 1 hour.
  2. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  3. Drain the chicken from the brine and place in a deep baking tray. Pour in 1cm of water, cover the tray with foil and steam in the oven for 20 minutes, or until tender and cooked through.
  4. Allow the chicken to cool, then dice into small cubes and place in a bowl with diced apple, celery and orange zest.
  5. In a separate bowl, whisk the mustard into the mayonnaise to form a creamy dressing. Fold this through the chicken salad mixture, ensuring everything is evenly coated. Taste and season if necessary.
  6. Halve the buns and fill with the chicken mixture. Add fresh pomegranate seeds and walnut pieces to taste, garnishing with alfalfa sprouts and serve.

Tips : The brining process is actually important in this recipe. I have made it using both brined uncooked chicken and using cooked leftover chicken. The cooked leftover chicken lacks a bit of seasoning, whereas the brined chicken is better in texture and it brings the saltiness that is needed in this sandwich.

Also, if you are using the "famous nordic brand of mayonnaise" that everyone uses, you know the one with lots of yellow on the packaging? Please add a little bit of fresh lemon juice or white wine vinegar to get a more acidic/sharper taste. If not, you can make your own or just use Hellmans mayonnaise. (Sorry not sorry? For me a mayonnaise must have a sharpness to it)

I do have some leftovers and in typical Scandinavian style, I can use it to make the traditional open sandwiches called "smørbrød" or when you slice it into a triangle, it becomes "snitter".

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