Spicy, Italian-inspired Spring Sandwich

Crispy, lemon & parmesan-crusted chicken breast, fried eggplant, charred purple broccolini, heirloom tomato, buffalo mozzarella, arugula, broccoli pesto, & Calabrian chili pepper aioli on ciabatta.

Now that the air is lighter and the Sun is warmer, the heavy and hearty meals that make up most of my winter diet feel a bit onerous. Enter: sandwich season. Sandwiches are some of the most forgiving kitchen endeavors, capable of being as ornate or austere as you’d like! Aside from taking minutes to whip up, their portability also makes them a fantastic meal-on-the-go for spring and summer outings, or made in large quantities to feed a crowd.

Sauces and spreads are arguably the most important components of any sandwich. This sandwich has 2: an herbaceous and fresh broccoli and arugula pesto (delicious on pasta, too!) and a creamy, spicy, Calabrian chili pepper aioli. If you are unfamiliar with aioli, it is essentially a garlic mayonnaise that can be enhanced with other herbs, spices, and vegetables.

The protein I’ve selected is a crispy, lemon, and parmesan crusted chicken breast. The chicken is pounded very thinly, dredged in flour, egg/lemon juice, and a lemon zest/parmesan/panko crumb. I’ve opted to shallow fry the chicken breast in neutral oil, but air frying or deep frying would work as well. Despite the caloric augmentation from the oil, the shallow frying adds a golden crust, which is unfortunately unattainable through other methods of cooking. It’s definitely worth it here, I promise.

As a vegetable lover, to me, a good sandwich is built on intriguing and delicious seasonal produce. I’ve selected eggplant, purple broccolini, heirloom tomato, and arugula. The eggplant is shallow-fried in the same oil as the chicken, whereas the broccoli is charred on a grill pan (or sautéed!). The heirloom tomato is simply sliced and sprinkled with flakey salt and pepper. I’ve dressed the arugula in a little extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice.

I’ve chosen ciabatta as the bread for this sandwich, namely due to its wide, flat structure and sturdiness. The fillings for this sandwich are pretty heavy and plentiful, so using a bread that can support their weight is integral for the sandwich remaining intact. As always, everything in your kitchen is customizable, so select a bread you love!

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Spicy, Italian-inspired Spring Sandwich

Serves 4-8

Ingredients:

For the aioli:

• 1 cup mayonnaise, homemade or store-bought

• 2 cloves of garlic

• 1/4-1/2 cup diced Calabrian chili peppers (depending on your spice preference)

• 1 handful fresh Italian parsley leaves

• Juice of 1/2 a lemon

• Salt, pepper, and sugar to taste

For the pesto:

• 1 head of broccoli, blanched and cooled

• 1 large handful of fresh arugula leaves

• 1 large handful of fresh parsley leaves

• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

• Juice of 1/2 a lemon

• 1 clove of garlic

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

For the chicken:

• 2 chicken breasts, butterflied and pounded thinly

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 2 eggs

• Juice of 1 lemon

• Zest of 1 lemon

• 2 cups panko breadcrumbs

• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

• Salt and pepper

• Neutral oil for frying (I used avocado oil)

For the sandwich:

• 1 large loaf of wide, flat bread, preferably ciabatta

• 1 eggplant, thinly sliced longways

• 1 bunch of purple broccolini (regular broccolini works as well!)

• 2 heirloom tomatoes, sliced thickly

• Fresh buffalo mozzarella, sliced

• 1 large handful of arugula

• Lemon juice

• Balsamic vinegar

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Flakey sea salt and pepper

Method:

For the aioli:

1. Place all of the ingredients into a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth.

2. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt, pepper, lemon juice, and sugar. Refrigerate until ready to assemble.

For the pesto:

3. Place all of the ingredients except for the extra virgin olive oil into a blender or food processor.

4. With the blade running, stream the olive oil in. Blend until mostly smooth. Adjust the texture with more olive oil if desired.

5. Taste and adjust seasonings with more parmesan, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Parmesan is already very salty, so I’d suggest under-seasoning with salt to start! Refrigerate until ready to assemble.

For the chicken:

6. Set up your dredging station. Arrange 3 bowls: 1 for flour, 1 for egg, and 1 for panko.

7. In the flour bowl, add your flour and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk and set aside.

8. In your egg bowl, crack in your eggs and add your lemon juice. Whisk and set aside.

9. In your panko bowl, add your panko, lemon zest, parmesan, and a pinch of black pepper. Whisk and set aside.

10. Dip your chicken in the flour, coating completely and tapping off the excess. Proceed to dip your chicken in the egg, allowing the excess to drip off before placing in the panko.

11. Press the panko into the chicken to coat as completely as possible. Shake off the excess and set your chicken aside. Repeat with the second breast.

12. Heat a fry pan with 1/2 inch of oil. Once the oil begins to ripple (or is about 350F), carefully lower your chicken breasts into the sizzling oil. Let the chicken cook on one side for 2-3 minutes until golden brown, flip, and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes.

13. Once the chicken is fully golden brown, remove it from the hot oil and allow it to drain on paper towels. Set aside until ready to assemble.

For the sandwich:

14. Using the oil from frying your chicken, fry the slices of eggplant until golden brown on both sides (1-3 minutes per side). Drain on a paper towel. Sprinkle with flakey salt. Set aside until ready to use.

15. On a hot cast-iron grill pan, warm some neutral oil.

16. Place your broccolini. Cook for 4-5 minutes, flip, and continue to cook until softened and charred.

17. Once cooked, remove from the pan and sprinkle with flakey salt. Set aside until ready to use.

18. In a small bowl, toss your arugula with a squeeze of lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil. Set aside until ready to assemble.

Assembly:

19. Slice your bread in half horizontally. Remove some of the extra bread from the top side.

20. Spread the aioli across the top side of your bread. Spread the broccoli pesto across the bottom.

21. Place your crispy chicken bread in an even layer on the bottom piece of bread.

22. Arrange the eggplant on top of your chicken in a single layer. Next, arrange the broccolini.

23. Top with the sliced heirloom tomato. Sprinkle with tomato with flakey sea salt and pepper.

24. Now, add your slices of buffalo mozzarella. Drizzle the mozzarella with balsamic vinegar.

25. Lastly, top the sandwich with your dressed arugula and your top piece of bread. Press down gently. Slice your sandwich however you’d like! Enjoy warm or cold.