Who wouldn't have joined the triangle cut three-layer sandwich club if it ever existed? The club sandwich probably first appeared in New York gambling dens in the late 19th century to offer players a "full meal" during long hours of gambling. It is one of the most common sandwiches and is now an icon; it is available in all cafeterias, roadside restaurants and sandwich shops around the world. If you want to make one yourself, first learn the basic recipe and then adapt it to your tastes.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Basic Recipe
Step 1. Toast two or three slices of white loaf bread
The club sandwich involves the use of white bread, which is toasted until golden and crunchy. Typically three slices are used to make three layers, but you can also make one with just two slices of bread.
If you want to reduce the calories of the sandwich, it is worth removing the central slice; the flavor will not be affected
Step 2. Fry two or three slices of bacon or bacon until crispy
To do this, place the bacon in a cold, flat-bottomed pan and heat it slowly over medium-low heat, turning it often. Cook it until crispy or you can see small bubbles of white foam when you turn it. Dab the slices of salami with kitchen paper to remove excess grease and set them aside while you prepare the sandwich.
If you prefer, you can also use pre-cooked bacon or microwaved bacon, it's a quicker alternative. Also consider turkey and soy cured meats as lean substitutes
Step 3. Spread some mayonnaise on a slice of bread
To start assembling the sandwich, first start from the base. Take a table knife and spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on the bottom slice of toast, according to your taste. The sauce keeps the sandwich moist, but if you don't like it or don't want to add more calories, you can omit it as well.
Step 4. Add slices of chicken or turkey meat, some tomato and lettuce
Start with the base and place the finely sliced chicken or turkey meat on the bottom slice of bread. The traditional recipe involves chicken, but turkey is also widely used. Follow with one or two crunchy iceberg lettuce leaves and one or two slices of fresh tomato.
- The meat is almost always cold. If you want to roast the chicken or turkey yourself, it will certainly taste even better, but wait for it to reach room temperature before making the sandwich.
- If you don't have iceberg lettuce, Roman lettuce, cappuccina or another crunchy variety are fine too. You can also consider spinach and other green leafy vegetables; however, the iceberg remains the traditional ingredient.
Step 5. Place another slice of bread and mayonnaise
At this point you are halfway through the work. To make the second layer, you can add another slice of toast and spread the mayonnaise on both sides if you're feeling particularly greedy. If you prefer a healthier version, feel free to omit the sauce or even the entire layer of bread in between.
Step 6. Add the bacon
At this point you can place the two or three slices of fried bacon on top of the other ingredients, right above the intermediate layer of bread. If the bacon pieces are too large for the size of the bread, you can break them.
Step 7. Now you can stuff the sandwich with another layer of chicken or turkey, tomato and lettuce
Once the bacon slices are spread out, complete the second part of the sandwich by simply adding the same ingredients. Start with the meat (chicken or turkey), then the lettuce and finally the tomato. Don't overdo the quantities, to prevent the top of the bun from becoming too heavy.
Step 8. Finish the preparation with the last slice of toast
Now that you have built your "greedy tower" you can finish it with the last slice of bread that you will gently crush to give the sandwich its shape. If you wish, you can spread another layer of mayonnaise.
Step 9. Cut the sandwich along both diagonals
Now comes the fun part. The main feature of the club sandwich is its cut. To start, divide the bun diagonally, from corner to corner and then repeat the process with the opposite diagonal thus forming four triangles.
- To get a good result, use a sharp kitchen knife; there are many layers through which the blade has to penetrate.
- Some people like to get rid of the brown crust of the bread before dividing the sandwich along the diagonals, so you get perfect little triangles.
Step 10. Secure each piece with a toothpick
Club sandwiches are not easy to handle, so the various layers are often fixed with a toothpick that pierces each section and which is also used as a guide for the knife. The decision is up to you.
Step 11. Serve the sandwich with fries or chips in the center of the plate
Arrange the various triangles on the plate, leaving a slight space in the center where you will put the "outline". French fries and chips are the most common choice, but you can also accompany the sandwich with a potato salad, a cabbage salad, a green salad and some pickles.
Part 2 of 2: Variants
Step 1. Use a more rustic bread
Most club sandwiches are made with white bread, but there's nothing stopping you from being more creative. Try a rustic, multigrain or black bread, so the flavor will be even richer.
If you really want to make a tasty snack, try three slices of different breads. One of wheat for the base, one black for the last layer and some pumpernickel for the central slice
Step 2. Add some cheese
While most of these sandwiches don't include cheese, why not add a slice of provolone, cheddar, or peppered pecorino? The rules of sandwich recipes are made to be broken! You can also make some kind of sauce with spreadable cheese, paprika, chilli, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, onion and other flavorings to your taste; the sandwich will have a stronger and certainly delicious flavor.
Step 3. Change the type of meat
A club sandwich is traditionally prepared with poultry (chicken in most parts of the world and turkey in the US). But why not try beef or corned beef? How about a pork club sandwich?
If you don't eat meat, you can replace it with slices of grilled zucchini, eggplant, tempeh or champignon mushrooms
Step 4. Enrich the mayonnaise
A good, simple sauce can turn a bad sandwich into a presentable sandwich. However, with a little more effort, even the usual mayonnaise can be improved upon. Consider making one of these mixes:
- Pesto mayonnaise (mix a tablespoon of pesto for 120ml of mayonnaise).
- Curry Mayonnaise (Combine 1/2 tablespoon of curry powder to 120ml of mayonnaise).
- Ketchup and mayonnaise.
- Thousand island sauce (vinaigrette, pickles, mayonnaise).
- Spicy sriracha mayonnaise (mayonnaise and spicy sriracha sauce).
- Brown mustard mayonnaise (two tablespoons of mustard per 120 ml of mayonnaise).
- Mayonnaise and Cajun flavorings (one teaspoon per 120ml of mayonnaise).
Step 5. Integrate the other toppings
If you love ketchup in the bun, add it. If you prefer barbecue sauce, balsamic vinegar, spicy sauce, why not add them? The club sandwich has a very simple basic recipe that lends itself to different variations, so as to adapt it to your tastes. Taste the traditional version first and then add all the toppings you love the most.
Try to spread different sauces for each slice of bread, so the sandwich will be truly unique and special. It will be the tastiest sandwich of all time
Advice
- You can adapt and modify the recipe according to your tastes.
- You can replace the mayonnaise with the salad cream (a sauce similar to mayonnaise where the oil has been diluted abundantly with water) or with the cocktail sauce with a pinch of curry.
- In the past, in the United States, loaves were classified and sold according to their days of life. The older bread was used for croutons and toasts, it was baked in square pans two and a half times longer than the current loaf bread and was perfect for this preparation.
