CHICKEN CLUB SPECIAL

Finding something different for dinner that is also quick to do on a busy day can be tricky, I think that we all tend to rely on our old favourites and before you know it everyone is tire of the same old dishes. Last week I decided to revive an dish from the seventies,the one and only chicken club sandwich.

CHICKEN CLUB SPECIAL

Any one who reads my blog regularly will know that I make my own bread but that is not at all necessary to make this tasty and speedy weekday meal. The amounts listed below are sufficient for two small children or one adult.


1 chicken breast either butterflied of cut in to 1”srtips
4 rashers of panchetta or streaky bacon
A good hand full of shredded iceberg lettuce
1 baguette or 1 large white roll
4 slices of tomato
4slices of cucumber
dried coriander, salt and pepper to season the oil
1 tablespoon of tomato ketchup
1 tablespoon of mayonnaise.
Slivers of cheddar cheese. I make these with a potato peeler!


Heat a griddle or a frying pan until very hot. Butterfly the chicken breast or cut into 1” strips, toss in a little seasoned oil and them place on the griddle moving regularly to prevent sticking.

Slice the baguette in to three layers longways and sett aside. Add the bacon to the griddle or use a second pan if the pan is too small. Assemble all the other ingredients , check that the chicken is cooked through and golden brown;this should take about eight minutes. Remove the chicken from the griddle along with the bacon and assemble the sandwich as follows.

Spread the mayonnaise on the bottom slice of the baguette and then add some shredded lettuce and the cucumber, pile the chicken on top Place the second layer on bread on top of the chicken and spread with the tomato ketchup . Pile on the shredded lettuce ,then the bacon followed by the slivers f cheese and lastly the tomato. Top with the remaining slice of baguette and secure with a couple of cocktail sticks.

Since every thing is on the sandwich there is no need for anything more. You can of course use thinly sliced steak of pork instead of the chicken ,I rather like replacing the meat with haloomi fire until golden brown and seasoned with a little garlic.

Poor old Pa was feeling very seedy this morning and did not get up for his breakfast until around one, which had the effect of making my day a trifle fraught;however the lie in did him good and during the afternoon he seemed a little better.

Wind and rain mad it a day to stay indoors for both myself and my little cat who having rather enjoyed the spell of dry weather spent the day staring morosely out of the window as the rain fell in sheets.

During the past few days my son has been almost as morose as the cat, I suspect foul play at that benighted work place of his, it really is time he told them where to get off;life is too short, to spend it playing straight man to a bunch of clowns and his health grows worse by the day;I shall stop here before I say ought amiss!

Only one visitor called today but an interesting one, he informed us that the Estate Manager and the Maintenance Manager who gave us such trouble last year have bee told in no uncertain terms to give us no more grief and the attend to any repair that we need a.s.a.p. I shall believe it on the day it happens but it would be nice if true.

Looking out over the orchard at dusk I observed that another of my cloches had broken free of it's moorings and was caught in the branches of the apple tree, this windy spell has proved expensive as only ;last week the mesh tunnel which protected my cabbages from the ravages of wood pigeons disappeared during a very windy night. On the plus side I have acquired a huge tarpaulin which I found blown into a corner of the orchard, as yet unclaimed, it is large enough to make bivouac for at least ten people should we ever have need!