Kimchi Chicken Mayo Sandwiches
Little Ceramic Jar with Pure Sea Salt
An excellent way to make a meal out of a sandwich and use up any leftovers at the same time. Ed Smith's Kimchi Chicken Mayo sandwich is as mouthwatering as it looks.
From Ed - 'You can make a proper meal out of a sandwich, although it requires a tiny bit of thought and effort to ensure it is a good one. Leftover chicken provides an excellent starting point, and shoving that between two pieces of bread is often one of the first things I think of when looking at the meat I’ve salvaged from the carcass of a roast chicken. That chicken needs to be bound by a lubricant, though, and I’m a fan of this kimchi-flecked mayo, which leads to a better eating experience than if you had pieces of kimchi sliding and falling out as you bite. After that, you need something with a sharp tang, some salad leaves that don’t wilt, a bit of crunch and, crucially, good bread.'
Get Ed's book, Peckish, published by Quadrille here.
Ingredients
- 1 medium–large carrot (100g), peeled ½ tsp rice vinegar
- 70g mayonnaise
- 100g kimchi (dry weight, no juices)
- 150–200g leftover chicken meat (breast, thigh or leg)
- 1/3 cucumber, peeled and deseeded
- A doorstep of bouncy focaccia or crusty baguette(s) for 2, sliced through their equator
- 1 baby gem lettuce, leaves separated
- Crisp fried shallots, to garnish
Method
- Either julienne or use a speed peeler to cut the carrot into thin matchsticks or ribbons. Splash with the rice vinegar and leave to sit while you prepare the remaining elements.
- Measure the mayonnaise and kimchi into a food processor. Blitz for 3–5 seconds, so the kimchi is chopped and thoroughly combined with the mayonnaise.
- Chop the chicken meat into fairly small niblets. Transfer to a mixing bowl, then add half of the kimchi mayonnaise. You might not want it all – stir, taste and add more as you prefer.
- Cut the cucumber into long, 1cm (½in)-thick batons.
- To assemble, use the back of a spoon to dab a smear of kimchi mayo over each cut surface of the bread. Arrange lettuce leaves over what will become the base, then spoon over a generous quantity of the chicken. Sprinkle crisp fried shallots on the wet mayo, then top with the carrot and cucumber, before closing those sandwiches.
- Eat immediately – this is not one for the lunchbox.
