Disclaimer – This Gourmet Chicken Sandwich post is sponsored by JOYA® Apples
Summer is in full swing and chances are that many of our meals will be enjoyed outside next to the pool, at a picnic or on the beach. And while there is the convenience of a take away, something homemade is always better and invariably healthier and cheaper. So this Gourmet Chicken Sandwich is my attempt to upgrade and modernise the good old chicken mayo sandwich.
For the Gourmet Chicken Sandwich the bread (get the freshest, best quality) is spread thickly with labneh to replace the usual mayonnaise you find in a chicken mayo sandwich. I find that mayonnaise easily overpowers the flavour of the chicken and sandwich. For extra flavour, I added a big dollop of store bought harissa paste to the labneh. You can buy labneh at a number of delis and retailers but it is also very easy to make and you can find my recipe here.
The next ingredient is chicken breast and the best way to get flavour in a chicken breast is to let it marinate it in olive oil, lime juice, garlic and ginger. Once marinated, it gets pan seared and become the centre filling of the sandwich.
For texture and crunch I added slices of JOYA®apples. A firm, sweet, crunchy apple, JOYA® apples are a great and healthy choice for out-door loving families and is a great snack for the young and young at heart. The apple sliced not only add texture and colour but a sweet counterbalance to the earthy and spicy heat of the harissa. For even more colour and a clean, cooling flavour, I added a layer of thinly sliced cucumber.
You can add a little JOYA® to your summer. WIN one of four Woolworths vouchers to the value of R500 by visiting the JOYA® Apples Facebook page and entering the competition. JOYA® apples are only available at Woolworths until January 2018. Enjoy and good luck!
Ingredients
- To make 4 sandwiches :
- 2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts
- Marinade:
- 2 cloves garlic, bashed
- 2cm fresh ginger, chopped into large pieces
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- a pinch of chili flakes (optional)
- Other ingredients:
- 8 slices fresh bread of your choice (ciabatta or sourdough are good options)
- 150ml labneh
- 30ml harissa paste
- 2 JOYA® apples
- 1 medium cucumber
Instructions
- Slice the chicken breasts in to strips and place in a bowl
- Mix all the marinade ingredients and pour over the chicken
- Mix the chicken with the marinade, cover and let it stand for at least an hour in the fridge and remove from the fridge 15 minutes before cooking
- Mix the labneh and harissa and set aside
- Thinly slice the JOYA® apples and sprinkle with lemon juice to avoid discolouration
- Thinly slice the cucumber
- Spread each slice of bread with the labneh mixture
- Place the apple slices on 4 slices and the cucumber slices on the other 4 slices and gently press down on to the labneh
- Heat a bit of oil in a large pan over a medium high heat, remove the chicken from the marinade and fry the chicken slices for a few minutes on each side until cooked through
- Place the chicken on 4 slices of bread and close the sandwich with the other 4 slices
- Slice in half and serve immediately
More photos, food and travel stories on: Instagram Pinterest Twitter Facebook
A few more of my recipes with labneh :
