Chicken Katsu Sandos. Photo / Lauren Bulbin, The Washington Post
Chicken Katsu Sandos. Photo / Lauren Bulbin, The Washington Post
Mix up your sandwich routine with these recipes and tips culled from around the world.
I wasn’t expecting to be wowed by the sandwich I ordered for lunch at an out-of-the-way cafe on a side street outside of the main tourist area of Seville, Spain, but the montadito on myplate begged to differ. Served on a dense white roll called a bollo, the sandwich was stuffed with a salad of chickpeas, celery, red onion and capers in a creamy dressing, topped with fresh cilantro and a spiky scattering of potato sticks. Each bite offered a delightful surprise: the nuttiness of the chickpeas, a burst of vinegar from the capers, the salty crunch of that unexpected garnish of potato sticks. I’m fairly certain I detected one of my favourite ingredients, lemon zest, giving a subtle, sunny lift to the mayonnaise.
It may have been the first sandwich that pleased my palate while I was travelling in Europe this past summer, but it wasn’t the last; the attention to detail given to these lunchtime staples equalled that found in handmade pasta served with freshly foraged wild mushrooms for dinner. The through line, as I travelled from Iberia to Ireland, was a thoughtful balance of flavours and textures – from sweet and salty to crunchy and creamy – combined with an almost scientific obsession with layering ingredients to keep the bread from getting soggy.
Handheld lunch – or breakfast or dinner – options benefit from ingredients and techniques found around the world, like the French-inspired layers of a Vietnamese banh mi or the sweet and savoury Indian influences found in a coronation chicken sandwich. By looking at sandwiches through a global lens, these practical strategies focus on layering flavour, balancing textures and taking advantage of a worldwide pantry to build a bolder, better sandwich.
Go ahead and say goodbye to that Sad Desk Lunch. Here’s how.
Incorporate bold, contrasting and complementary flavours
Slices of fruit add juicy texture, as in this ham and brie sandwich with apricot. Photo / Rey Lopez, The Washington Post
Sandwiches shine when given a complex flavour profile, highlighting salty, sweet, sour and spicy.
Hit the sweet spot by adding a layer of jam (a great combo with salty ham), blending chutney into cream cheese, using sliced peaches or apricots instead of tomatoes, or folding dried cranberries into chicken salad.
Introduce contrasting salty notes, such as feta, blue or pecorino Romano cheese; cured meats; or briny olives. Or whisk a little miso, fermented black beans or Vegemite into softened butter to spread on for additional umami.
Add a piquant punch with pickled vegetables, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, finely diced preserved lemon or a simple squirt of citrus juice.
Spice things up with mustard and other bold condiments, such as toum, ajvar, chutney sabz and chilli crisp.
Aim for a variety of textures
Cabbage, yoghurt and mustard seeds bring a range of textures to Dahi toast Photo / Tom McCorkle, The Washington Post
Try to include ingredients that bring crunch, cream and chew. Crisp vegetables, a smooth spread, and a spongy or hearty bread all come together for satisfying layers of texture and flavour.
Sprinkle sandwich fillings such as shrimp, egg or chickpea salad with toasted sliced almonds, or top with potato sticks, chips or fried shallots.
Use tangy Greek yoghurt in sandwich fillings for an extra-creamy base.
Soak fresh greens such as lettuce, spinach or cabbage in an ice-water bath for 15 to 30 minutes, which helps the leaves crisp up, then spin-dry before using.
Use roasted mushrooms glazed in soy and honey as an unexpected sandwich filling. Photo / Scott Suchman, The Washington Post
Sandwiches are a blank canvas ready for any fillings you can layer inside the bread, such as fried plantains with bacon or a masala-spiced omelette.
Swap out traditional deli meats for tandoori chicken, salmon shawarma or roasted mushrooms glazed in honey and soy.
Grill or sear vegetables, halloumi or bologna to bring a smoky depth of flavour.
Consider recipes that can be repurposed as sandwiches, like stuffing these Jerk Chicken Skewers with Cucumber-Grape Salsa inside a warm pita.
Build sandwiches to last
A thin layer of butter can help keep sandwich bread from going soggy. Photo / Rey Lopez, The Washington Post
Nothing’s less appetising than a soggy sandwich, so use layers to separate wet and dry ingredients.
Thinly coat the inside of each slice of bread with softened butter, which helps keep sliced tomatoes or other wet ingredients from soaking through.
Tuck tuna salad or other similar salads inside whole fresh lettuce leaves, creating a moisture-free barrier.
Wrap sandwiches tightly in parchment or wax paper to create structure, then cut just before serving, if possible.
Vary the sandwich shapes and sizes
Cucumber sandwiches are a great example of a small, elegant sandwich to try when you want to mix up the size. Photo / Scott Suchman, The Washington Post
Whether you’re in the mood for bite-size tea sandwiches or crowd-pleasing footlongs, customise your sandwich size and shape to your needs.
Mini pitas, cocktail rye bread and slider rolls are just right for kids’ lunch boxes and snack-size portions, or when you want two different fillings on the same plate.
Try finger sandwiches, Japanese-style – like Chicken Katsu Sandos, which can be halved or cut into narrow rectangles on soft white bread without the crust.
Use lavash or flour tortillas to roll up pinwheel sandwiches filled with soft cheese or hummus with pickled vegetables.
Recipe: Chicken katsu sandos
The original Japanese katsu sandos – soft white-bread sandwiches stuffed with a crispy breaded pork cutlet and cabbage slaw, and topped with a tangy tonkatsu sauce – are said to date back to the 1930s. Traditionally, the sandwiches were served with the crusts cut off the bread, so the geishas wouldn’t mess up their crimson lipstick while having a snack. The addition of crushed fried onions – like those you might scatter on green bean casserole at Thanksgiving – brings another element of flavour to the breading.
You’ll have to use a few bowls to make this dish, but it will be worth the effort.
Servings: 4 (makes 4 sandwiches)
Active time: 25 minutes. Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes.
Japanese milk bread - other soft white sandwich bread
Butter - nondairy butter
Dijon mustard - other types of mustard, or Worcestershire sauce or wasabi
Tonkatsu sauce - barbecue or gochujang sauce
Gluten-free?- Use gluten-free all-purpose flour mix, gluten-free panko, gluten-free tamari in place of soy sauce and gluten-free bread
Can’t have eggs? - Use vegan mayonnaise
Fried onions - fried shallots
Thin-cut chicken cutlets - boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved across the equator and pounded
Variations:
To make tofu katsu sandos: Cut a 450g block of extra-firm tofu into four lengthwise slices and follow the directions above.
Other katsu fillings: Breaded long slices of eggplant or sweet potatoes, pork, ham, or beef are all great options in place of chicken or tofu.
Notes: If you remove the crusts from the bread, freeze them for future use.
Storage: The sandwiches are best as soon as they are made. The chicken and slaw can be refrigerated, separately, for up to four days, but the cutlets will lose their crispy exteriors.
Ingredients
For the katsu and slaw:
Three-quarters cup panko, plus more as needed
Neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola, or nonstick cooking spray
Four thin-cut chicken breast cutlets
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar, divided
1 teaspoon soy sauce, divided
2 tablespoons fried onions
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups finely shredded napa cabbage
For the sandos:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
8 slices shokupan (Japanese milk bread; see Where to buy and Substitutions)
Tonkatsu sauce, for serving
Method
Make the katsu and slaw: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 205C.
Spread the panko on a large sheet pan and transfer to the oven while it’s preheating. Toast the panko for 10 minutes, or until golden and aromatic. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly, then transfer to a large, shallow bowl. Set a wire rack in the same sheet pan and brush the rack lightly with oil.
In a large bowl, toss the chicken with the flour until lightly coated all over, then transfer to a large plate.
In another large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon of the rice vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon of the soy sauce until well combined. Transfer a generous 1 tablespoon of the mayonnaise mixture to a medium bowl and set aside.
To the bowl with the toasted panko, add the crushed fried onions, if using, salt, pepper, smoked paprika and garlic powder, and mix well to combine.
Working with one floured cutlet at a time, shake off the excess flour, then dip it in the mayonnaise mixture in the large bowl to lightly coat both sides. Dip the cutlet in the panko mixture to coat all over, then transfer to the prepared wire rack. Repeat with the remaining cutlets.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until cooked through, flipping them over halfway through. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before assembling the sandwiches.
While the cutlets are baking, to the bowl with the reserved mayonnaise mixture, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon of soy sauce, and whisk to combine. Add the cabbage and toss to coat.
Assemble the sandos: In a small bowl, mix together the butter with the mustard until well combined. If you prefer, remove the crusts from the bread, then spread a thin layer of the butter mixture on one side of each slice of bread. Place one of the chicken cutlets over one buttered slice, then drizzle generously with the tonkatsu sauce, followed by 1/4 cup of the slaw, then top with another slice of bread, buttered side down. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make four sandwiches. Cut each sandwich in half and serve immediately.
