This sandwich is an imitation of the North American lunch dish; Club Sandwich. Just a few things changed, for example, the bread turned into a baguette, the bacon got replaced by a slightly cooked Serrano (Prosciutto)  cured ham and the mayonnaise switched for an aïoli sauce. I did a side of healthy oven baked thyme potato slices and a few pickles… No better lunch than a club sandwich, and the size of this version is to your taste, just have to cut the size of sandwich you’d like. I often think a traditional 3 layers Club Sandwich is way too big… With this one you choose, it’s a different format but the taste is all there!

This version is healthier, since you cut the middle layer of bread, cut on the bacon and mayonnaise. For 100g of bacon, there is about 42g of fat in it, while the serrano ham 9g only. You can easily reproduce the crunchy texture of the bacon by slightly cooking your cured ham (Serrano, Prosciutto), a 5 minute, just so it loses its water and become extra tasty and crisp. Cooked cured ham is a good alternative to bacon, you’ll see, and it’s healthier.

As for the side potato slices… they are my favorite way of eating potatoes. It’s, simply, small potatoes with skin cut into quarters, add just 1 tbsp of olive oil to it with the spices of your choice. I like to mix it up with; spicy paprika (pimentón picante), thyme, garlic, salt and pepper. It’s a bold, tasty and practically contains no fat, way to eat healthy crispy “french fries”. Just have to cook in the oven for about 45 minute at 200°C (400F) and voilà!

The aïoli instead of mayonnaise is a Catalan touch, it is basically a garlic mayonnaise. It is not as strong garlic taste as you’d think, it’s really mild, so don’t believe you’ll bite into pure garlic here… In Catalonia, they manage to make aïoli without any eggs, just need a fresh garlic clove, some olive oil and a mortar. It’s a technique that not many can achieve, I’ve heard for example that if you want the emulsion to work, you’ll need an extremely fresh garlic glove, otherwise it will never emulsify. So here, I’ll make mine the mayonnaise way with some eggs, maybe one day, I’ll figure out the secret of that pure aïoli without eggs, but for now; let’s make it the easy way. You’ll be able to keep your aïoli in the fridge up to about 5 days. (Check the recipe here)

So let’s get lunch ready!

Spanish Club Sandwich

Makes 2-3 portions

Ingredients

• Baguette bread
• 2 chicken breast finely sliced
• a few slices of Cured ham of your choice (Serrano, Prosciutto, etc)
• Lettuce of your choice
• Tomato in slices
• Aïoli *optional, or mayonnaise (see recipe soon here)
• Salt, pepper

Directions

1. Cook your chicken breast, if not already done, 30 minutes at 180°C (350F) with salt and pepper
2. Add in the last 5 minutes of coccion the serrano ham in the oven, to make it crunchier.
3. Cut the bread size you’ll need (toast with the serrano 5 minutes)
4. Add the aïoli sauce, lettuce, tomato, chicken slices, cured ham in between those two slices of baguette and voilà

A side of baked potatoes slices, pickles and a good lemonade. Enjoy your lunch!