Sandwich – TasteFood

I like to call this grilled cheese sandwich a grilled ploughman. I lived in England for a few years, and one of my favorite food memories is the ploughman’s lunch which is standard pub fare. Essentially a cheese platter or cheese board, it’s a rustic and hearty arrangement of slabs of sharp, aged cheese (often cheddar), a dollop of sweet and spicy chutney or pickle, smears of piquant mustard, and wedges of fresh fruit, such as apple, heaped on a platter with thick slices of country-style bread. The best part is that it’s DIY, ready to assemble and devour to your taste.

I used the ploughman’s lunch as inspiration for this grilled cheese sandwich, essentially layering all of the traditional ingredients into a double-fisted melty sandwich, oozing cheese and balanced with fresh greens, crisp fruit, and a homemade apple-chile chutney, similar to piccalli, which is the English version of Indian spiced pickles. Happy New Year!

Ploughman’s Grilled Cheese with Apple Chile Chutney

Makes one hefty sandwich

2 slices sourdough or ciabatta bread, 1/2-inch thick
Salted butter, softened
2 ounces sliced aged hard cheese, such as sharp Cheddar or Gouda
1/4 cup arugula or more as needed
2 tablespoons Apple Chile Chutney (recipe below)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, or to taste

Make the sandwich:
Butter one side of each bread slice. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add one bread slice to the skillet, butter-side down. Lay the cheese over the bread. Cover the pan and cook until the cheese is mostly melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Place the arugula over the cheese. Spoon the chutney over the arugula. Spread the mustard over the unbuttered side of the second bread slice. Place the bread, mustard-side down, over the sandwich. Using a spatula, carefully flip the sandwich and gently press down. Cover the skillet and cook until the cheese is thoroughly melted and the bread is golden brown, 2 to 3 more minutes. Transfer to a plate, cut in half, and serve.

Apple Chile Chutney

Add a mix of mild and hot chile peppers for flavor and heat. I used a red jalapeño and sweet Hungarian and Gypsy peppers in this batch. Makes about 2 cups.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion chopped
2 to 3 red chile peppers, depending on size and heat, stemmed and seeded, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons grated peeled ginger, with juices
1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Combine all of the ingredients in a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the chutney thickens, about 20 minutes. Cool completely, then transfer to a jar and refrigerate. The chutney will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

November 3rd is National Sandwich Day, and why not? The humble and satisfying sandwich, originally constructed as a vehicle for leftovers and efficient hands-on eating, has roots in nearly every culture. From classic American PB&J (peanut butter and jelly, for those of you who may ask), to hoagies and burgers, wraps and clubs, pockets and panini, and tartines and smørrebrød (which are fancier ways to say “open-face”), there is a version of a sandwich for every cuisine and appetite.

So, in honor of #NationalSandwichDay (and as a welcome diversion from the increasingly discordant politics and punditry in the last week of the Presidential campaign) I submit to you a delectable recipe and video for Chicken Banh Mi, guaranteed to whisk you away from the news cycle, at least for lunch. Banh Mi is the Vietnamese rendition of a sandwich with French sensibilities: French baguette, paté, and mayonnaise meet Asian spiced meats, chiles, pickles, and cilantro – a creation influenced by the lengthy colonization of Vietnam by France. (Even the origin of this sandwich can’t escape politics.) The key to a good banh mi is the perfect flavor balance of spicy, salty, sweet, and piquant, matched by a satisfying blend of textures – crusty tender baguette, bright herbs, crunchy pickles, and a creamy sweet-spicy mayo sauce.

Chicken Banh Mi Sandwich

The meat fillings in banh mi can vary from pork to chicken, duck, tofu, paté, or sausage. For a quick and light preparation, I often use chicken. Makes 4 sandwiches.

Marinade:
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon Sriracha
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons brown sugar

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, each about 6 ounces, pounded to an even thickness, about 1/2-inch thick.

Pickled Vegetables:
1 medium carrot, peeled, cut into matchsticks
1 (4-inch) daikon, peeled, cut into matchsticks
1 (4-inch) English cucumber, seeded, cut into matchsticks
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar

Spicy Mayo:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Sriracha

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 small hero rolls or 1 large soft baguette, cut into four (4-inch) sections, split
4 Boston lettuce leaves
1 to 2 jalapeños, sliced
1 bunch fresh mint
1 bunch fresh cilantro

1. Whisk the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Place the chicken in a small baking dish, pour the marinade over and turn to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes (or refrigerate for up to 24 hours).
2. Combine the pickled vegetable ingredients in a bowl. Using your fingers, rub the vegetables until the sugar and salt dissolve, and the vegetables release their juices and begin to soften. Pour in the vinegar and let stand for at least 30 minutes (or refrigerate for up to 24 hours). Drain before using.
3. Whisk the spicy mayo ingredients in a small bowl and refrigerate until use.
4. Preheat a large skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil to the skillet. Remove the chicken from the marinade, place in the skillet and cook until browned on both sides and thoroughly cooked through, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest while you toast the bread, then thinly slice.
4. In the same skillet (do not wipe it out), toast the rolls, cut-side down until lightly marked and crusty, about 2 minutes, without turning, adding a little oil if necessary.
5. To assemble, spread about 1 tablespoon mayo on each cut side of each roll. Lay a lettuce leaf on the bottom half, then top with chicken, the pickled vegetables, jalapeños, mint leaves, and cilantro leaves. Serve immediately.

Video produced by Food Guru Channel and TasteFood