I have a serious comfort food association with chicken salad sandwiches. Particularly in summer.
That's when Mom made them for me for lunch. And I don't mean salads with chicken. I mean the sloppy, sticky diner-style chicken salads all gloopy with mayonnaise, speckled with sweet pickle relish and studded with crunchy bits of chopped celery. And the best part of the chicken salad? Those clumps that oozed out from between the bread slices to land with a plop on the plate. I ate those with my fingers.
My tastes have become a bit more sophisticated since those days, though not by much. And I'm still partial to a hefty dose of mayo. So when I'm hankering for a little comfort in summer, this is the version I make now.
Griddled Chicken Salad Sandwich on Rye
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 to 1 teaspoon hot sauce, to taste
1/4 cup bread and butter pickle slices, finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1 cup shredded cooked chicken meat (white and/or dark meat)
2 tablespoons butter, softened
4 large slices rye bread
4 thin slices cheddar cheese
4 thick slices tomato
In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, fennel seeds and hot sauce. Mix in the pickles, celery and chicken until everything is well coated.
Use the butter to coat 1 side of each slice of bread. For each sandwich, top the unbuttered side of 1 slice of bread with a slice of cheese, then half of the chicken salad. Gently press 2 tomato slices into the chicken salad, then top with another slice of cheese and a second slice of bread, buttered side up.
Heat a medium skillet over medium-high. Set the sandwiches in the skillet, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly golden. Use a spatula to carefully flip the sandwich and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until second side is browned and cheese is melted. Transfer the sandwich to a cutting board and let rest for 2 minutes. Cut into halves and serve immediately.
Makes 2 servings.
Food on 07/22/2015