Pesto Chicken Sandwich

A refreshing yet hearty breakfast or mess-free lunch option ideal for picnics or tiffins!

This sandwich comes from one of M’s life hacks: everything tastes better in a sandwich form with a special sauce and grilled bread!
This June, I want to try some of the Bon Appétit magazine’s recipes, and they have a wonderful listicle on 38 favourite sandwiches. This one is inspired by all of them in general and none in particular. It does not get soggy, so you can make ahead of time.

Generic pesto recipe: blitz together peeled 6-7 garlic cloves, 1 tsp salt, 50g torn basil leaves, pre-ground cheese (I’ve used parmesan, gouda and even cheddar on occasion….), 1/3 cup olive oil/water to a smooth paste. Store in an airtight container in a fridge for up to 1 week.

Recipe:
Makes 1 tall sandwich
Chicken breast, 1
Pesto, 1 tbsp
Plum tomatoes, 4 slices
Bread of choice

Method:
1. Either 1 chicken breast to a thin cutlet, or slice thinly into tenders.
2. Marinade it with 1 tbsp of pesto.
3. Frying pesto is a bad idea because the oil splutters too much. Grill/bake if you have the time, else shake off excess pesto when frying the chicken.
4. Alternatively, mix pesto with already grilled/fried chicken. Keep it aside.
5. Mince and fry a handful of mushrooms (in the same pan as used for the chicken). Mix it with 1 tbsp of mayo and 1 tbsp lemon juice. Add some chilli flakes.
6. Assemble on toast with the spread, chicken, sliced tomatoes.

Optional suggestions:
1. Leave out the mushrooms, use mozzarella and lettuce instead!
2. Spread pesto on the bread, and fry the chicken after seasoning with salt, pepper and oregano.

Lessons:
1. Pesto goes great with chicken, tomatoes, and lemon as flavours.
2. You can mix anything in mayo to create a whole new sauce to slather on buns.