Club sandwich: three slices and a layer order that makes sense
A club sandwich is not simply a sandwich with a lot in it — it is a construction in which the order of the layers is designed. Mayonnaise goes on both sides of the middle slice and the inner faces of the other two, not only for flavour but also as a barrier against moisture from the tomato. Lettuce always sits between tomato and bread for the same reason. The three slices are not decoration: the middle one splits the filling in two, so the sandwich does not slide apart at the first bite.
Your own work in that: 30 min.
- Components 18 min
- Assembly 8 min
- Cutting 4 min
Step by step
0 / 6 doneSlice and fry the chicken
Slice the breast horizontally into two thin escalopes — they cook quickly and evenly. Season with salt, pepper and paprika and fry in oil about 4 minutes a side, until cooked right through with no pink juices. Rest 5 minutes and slice across.
Ingredients: 250 g chicken breast · 6 pcs streaky bacon · 1 pcs tomato · 4 pcs iceberg lettuce · ½ tsp salt · ½ tsp pepper · ½ tsp sweet paprika · 1 tbsp oil
TipResting before slicing is not a formality. Chicken cut straight from the pan bleeds juice onto the bread and the sandwich softens from within in minutes.
Two thin escalopes, four minutes each, five minutes' restFry the bacon flat
Cook the bacon in a cold pan, slowly, about 8 minutes, pressing with a spatula so it stays flat and evenly crisp. A wavy rasher creates gaps in the sandwich through which the layers slide. Drain on a rack.
Pressed flat, evenly crispToast the bread and mix the sauce
Toast the slices golden and dry, and leave them on a rack so they don't steam. Mix the mayonnaise with mustard and lemon juice. The bread must be dry: damp toast drinks the sauce and the whole structure sits down.
Ingredients: 6 pcs white sandwich bread · 80 g mayonnaise · 1 tsp Dijon mustard · ½ tsp lemon juice
Spread the slices with the sauce
Spread the mayonnaise sauce on both sides of the middle slice and on the inner faces of the other two. This is not extravagance — the layer of fat is a moisture barrier against tomato and lettuce, and it is why the sandwich stays crisp for a long time.
Golden, dry toast, mayonnaise as a barrierBuild the layers in order
First slice: lettuce, chicken. Second slice (the middle one, spread on both sides). On it: lettuce, salted tomato, bacon. Third slice on top. Lettuce always goes under the tomato, as a second barrier against its juice.
Ingredients: 250 g chicken breast · 6 pcs streaky bacon · 1 pcs tomato · 4 pcs iceberg lettuce · ½ tsp salt · ½ tsp pepper · ½ tsp sweet paprika · 1 tbsp oil
TipSalt the tomato <b>on the sandwich</b>, just before covering it. Salted earlier it weeps on the board and loses its firmness.
Lettuce under the tomato, bacon abovePin and cut into triangles
Push four cocktail sticks into the four quarters, roughly halfway from the centre to each corner. Press down and cut diagonally with a serrated knife into four triangles. Serve at once, with chips or crisps.
Four sticks, two diagonal cuts
Before you start
Why three slices
The middle slice divides the filling into two thinner layers. That is what stops the sandwich squeezing out as you bite — the same filling between two slices slides sideways at the first mouthful.
With turkey
Many American diners make their club with roast turkey rather than chicken. If you have leftovers from a roast, this is their best use — the slices are larger and hold in the sandwich better.
To take away
Wrap it tightly in baking paper, like a sweet, and only then cut through the paper. The paper holds the layers in place and the sandwich arrives intact.
What to avoid
Watery sauces (ketchup, dressing), fresh soft bread and wet lettuce are the three things that guarantee collapse within a quarter of an hour.
