Asian Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Serves 4

Pan IconWHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: For a quick meal with a little more flair than the diner-counter staple, we give our chicken salad sandwiches an Asian twist. We start by adding soy sauce, sesame oil, and ginger to the basic mayonnaise base, and in lieu of the usual grapes, celery, and/or pecans as add-ins, we stir in scallions and sesame seeds with the shredded chicken (we use a rotisserie chicken to minimize the work). To balance the rich flavors of the chicken salad and lend some texture, we add some quick pickles to our sandwiches. We start with an English cucumber since it has fewer seeds and doesn’t require peeling, slice it into thin half-moons, then toss it with a mixture of cider vinegar and sugar that we quickly heat up in the microwave. A round loaf of crusty bread, such as a boule, provides the perfect sturdy slices needed for this hearty sandwich.

½

cup cider vinegar

3

tablespoons sugar

1

English cucumber, halved, seeded, and sliced thin

2/3

cup mayonnaise

2

tablespoons soy sauce

1

tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1

tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1

(2½-pound) rotisserie chicken, skin and bones discarded, meat shredded into bite-size pieces (3 cups)

6

scallions, sliced thin

2

teaspoons sesame seeds

Salt and pepper

8

(½-inch-thick) slices rustic white bread, lightly toasted

1. Combine vinegar and sugar in medium bowl and microwave until sugar dissolves, about 90 seconds. Add cucumber slices to bowl and toss to combine.

2. Whisk mayonnaise, soy sauce, sesame oil, and ginger together in large bowl until combined. Add chicken, scallions, and sesame seeds to bowl with mayonnaise mixture and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Top 4 slices bread with chicken salad, followed by cucumbers, then remaining 4 slices bread. Serve.