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Club sandwich

Australian Gourmet Traveller American classic sandwich recipe for club sandwich

By Adelaide Lucas
  • Serves 4
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Club sandwich
Was it the Saratoga Club-House in New York's Saratoga Springs or double-decker railway club cars that provided the inspiration for this most beloved of sandwiches? We're not losing a lot of sleep on the question but, either way, all the authorities agree the club sandwich is something of a 20th-century American culinary icon. And as Americans made that century their own, so too did the club, travelling with hotel and business interests, becoming a staple of bar and room-service menus around the globe.
So much so that observing the regional variations on the classic, whether slight or involving prawn paste mayo, has become something of a sport among a certain breed of traveller. Turkey is so common a substitute for chicken that many people think it's the protein of choice - point of order: unless the turkey is very, very juicy and the chicken at hand is very, very dry, it's not… so turkey doesn't count, nor does the common addition of a fried egg. Sometimes the classics are best left alone. Alone, that is, with chips.
For a century now, no hotel stay has been complete without this double-decker sambo.

Ingredients

Sandwich
  • 1 kg sebago potatoes, peeled, cut into1 cm thick chips and soaked in cold water
  • For deep frying: peanut oil
  • 4 small (about 200gm each) chicken breasts
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 rashers short-cut bacon
  • 12 slices white bread, toasted
  • 1 baby cos lettuce, tough outer leaves removed, leaves separated and washed
  • 2 vine-ripened tomatoes, thickly sliced
Mayonnaise
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 200 ml olive oil

Method

Main
  • 1
    For mayonnaise, pulse egg yolks, mustard and vinegar in a food processor until combined then, with motor running, add olive oil in a steady stream until emulsified and thick. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground white pepper. Mayonnaise will keep refrigerated for up to 1 week. Makes 1 cup.
  • 2
    Drain potato and pat dry with absorbent paper. Heat peanut oil in a deep fryer or large deep saucepan to 150C. Add half the potato and cook for 6 minutes, or until cooked through. Drain on absorbent paper. Repeat with remaining potato, then set aside for 10 minutes.
  • 3
    Preheat oven to 180C. Season chicken with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat olive oil in a non-stick frying pan and cook chicken over medium heat for 3 minutes on each side or until golden, then transfer chicken to an oven tray and roast for 10 minutes or until cooked through. In the same frying pan cook bacon, turning occasionally, for 3 minutes or until golden. Keep warm.
  • 4
    To assemble, place 4 pieces of toast on a clean work surface, spread each with mayonnaise and top with lettuce, bacon, tomato and then chicken. Spread second piece of toast on both sides with mayonnaise, and place on top. Repeat with remaining filling ingredients. Spread remaining toast with mayonnaise and place mayonnaise-side down on top. Secure sandwiches with 2 toothpicks and halve diagonally.
  • 5
    Increase oil heat to 180C and deep-fry chips for 3-5 minutes or until golden and crisp, drain on absorbent paper, season to taste with sea salt and serve immediately with club sandwiches.

Notes

Regarded by many (indeed, many who work at Harry's) as the best in the world. Calle Vallaresso, 1323, Venice, +394 1528 5777.
The tiny, perfectly formed article seen at Monte Carlo’s grand dame works out at about $10 a bite. Place du Casino, Monte Carlo, Monaco,+377 9806 30 16.
WHERE TO TRY IT
Harry's Bar, Venice
Hotel de Paris, Monaco

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  • undefined: Adelaide Lucas