Expert-Approved Chicken Breast Sandwiches Deserve Juicy Toppings
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The world of sandwiches has no limits. Sandwiches are enjoyed around the world in many ways and with many fillings, like the ham and cheese croque monsieur from France or gyros (pitas stuffed with lamb) from Greece. One commonality is the use of a good protein, and who doesn't love a chicken sandwich?
We talked to sandwich expert Max Halley to gain some insight into crafting the perfect chicken breast sandwich. Halley is the creator behind the Instagram account @lunchluncheon and the author of "Max's World of Sandwiches," a recipe book available on Amazon that celebrates the diversity of the lunchtime staple. Halley's passion for the item also encompasses his enthusiasm for a delicious chicken breast sandwich.
When picturing such an item, you may envision a grilled or fried chicken breast in a soft bun. While these are classic, there are many other ways to make expert-approved chicken breast sandwiches. When we asked Halley what he thought was the best type of sandwich for using chicken breast, his spirited answer was, "Juicy sandwiches!!!" While the chicken breast itself can be juicy (and if it's cooked correctly, it will be), chicken breast sandwiches deserve to be packed with juicy toppings spanning from sauces to condiments to broths.
Juicy toppings enhance any chicken breast
With the simple format of bread-fillings-bread, a chicken breast sandwich can be anything you want. Take the English dish coronation chicken, for example. It embodies what juicy chicken is to Max Halley: "Coronation chicken is a gift to chicken breast because it is so juicy and saucy, and so delicious of course."
In a coronation chicken sandwich recipe, shredded chicken breast is fused with a delicious blend of mayonnaise, sour cream, curry powder, and apricots before the mixture is stuffed between bread. A saucy chicken salad like this also has the potential to save a dry, overcooked chicken breast, as Halley also pointed out.
Poaching chicken is a great method to ensure super soft texture in a breast — just make sure you're poaching your chicken correctly. One juicy hack that Halley promotes is using "a few spoons of the broth to loosen things up," along with adding his preferred topping of "really strong mustard." A bit of the broth you used to poach the chicken will absorb right into the meat and, along with the kick of a condiment like mustard, it can even enhance the chicken's texture and flavor. Use Halley's philosophy to play around with juicy toppings, and remember to never skip out on a good sauce.