Asian Chicken Salad Sandwiches with Sesame – Soy Mayonnaise and Pickeld Cucumber all recipes

Asian Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Why this recipe works: for this Asian inspired chicken salad sandwich, we start with a rotisserie chicken, which we shred into bite-size pieces. (Be sure to buy the plain roasted rotisserie chicken at your supermarket rather than on that’s roasted with garlic or herbs). Because of the rich flavors in the mayonnaise – including sesame oil and soy sauce – we needed a crisp and crunchy counterpoint. Quick pickles made from a thinly sliced cucumber did the trick: they lead a welcome fresh flavor and contracting texture to our sandwiches. An English cucumber has fewer has fewer seeds than the American version, so we opted for one of those and quickly removed the seeds we did find with a teaspoon. We make the pickles first so they can sit and absorb the pickling liquid while we complete the rest of the meal. A round, crusty loaf of bread, such as a boule, is essential to getting the large, sturdy slices needed for this hearty sandwich.

Asian Chicken Salad Sandwiches  with Sesame – Soy Mayonnaise and Pickeld Cucumber

Ingredients: serve 4

½ cup cider vinegar

3 tablespoon sugar

1 cucumber, halved, seeded, and sliced thin

2/3  cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon grated ginger salt and pepper

1 rotisserie chicken (about 2 ½ pounds), skin discarded, meat shredded into bite – size pieces (about 3 cups)

6 scallions, sliced thin

2 teaspoons sesame seeds

8 slices crusty bread, lightly toasted

Procedures:

1. Combine vinegar and sugar in medium microwave – safe bowl. Microwave on high power until sugar dissolves, about 90 seconds. Add cucumber slices to bowl and toss to combine.
2. Whisk mayonnaise, soy sauce, sesame oil, and ginger together until combined and season with salt and pepper. Toss mayonnaise mixture with chicken pieces, scallions, and sesame seeds, and season with salt and pepper.
3. Arrange 4 slices bread on platter. Add equal amounts chicken salad and top with pickled cucumbers and second piece of bread. Serve

Quick Prep Tip: Grating Ginger

When grating ginger on a rasp grater, a brief stint in the freezer helps firm the ginger up and keeps it from disintegrating. Place peeled ginger in a zipper – lock bag and freeze for 30 minutes the ginger can then be neatly grated.

Quick Prep Tip: Slicing Scallions

Rather than cutting scallions with a rocking motion of the knife’s heel, draw the tip of the knife backward toward you and across the scallion. This method separates the scallion into rings without creating any jagged edges.