4. Steps To Make Chicken Sandwiches

- shredded chicken sandwiches

- ingredients

- mayonnaise

- rosemary and thyme

- salt and pepper 

- barbecue sauce

- preheating the oven

- setting them aside

- caramelizing

- saucepan

- keep on stirring languidly

- deboned

- prepare a drink

- enjoy the meal

How will your chicken sandwich be made?

The potion sizes?

List down all your ingredients.

Step by step, how to make the sandwiches.

Add an additional drink or snack.

     What defines a sandwich is really complicated these days, as I've seen many wild creations from social media that are quite wild and had them being called sandwiches when they look nothing like a sandwich. There are many types of sandwiches all around the world, one can make either a panini, hamburger, banh mi, falafel, steamed bun and so on. With all of the mentioned sandwiches and more, and not to mention the many different fillings in them, that means there are plenty of different ways to make them. However, I will only be making simple sandwiches with shredded chicken that I myself had made before. I made these sandwiches for four friends and myself the last time. For the ingredients, prepare about ten slices of white or wholegrain bread, mayonnaise, a head of lettuce, a whole chicken with a weight of about 1.5kg, some rosemary and thyme, a block of butter, pepper and salt, three large white onions and five slices of cheese. For the homemade barbecue sauce, we need some tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, lemon juice, sweetened soy sauce and some chilli powder.

     First, start with preheating the oven for 15 minutes at 200°C. Make the herbed butter by combining softened butter, some finely chopped rosemary and thyme, salt, and black pepper. Set them aside to prepare the chicken. Clean the whole chicken, stuff it with the herbs and rub the herb-infused butter from earlier onto it. Place the chicken in the preheated oven for 40 minutes at 190°C. In the meantime, spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on five slices of bread. Place two washed leaves of lettuce and a slice of cheese on each of them. With that done start cutting up the onions and caramelizing them, then position them on top of the cheese. After all that is done, start making the barbecue sauce. Mix all the ingredients: tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, lemon juice, sweetened soy sauce and some chilli powder, together in a saucepan until smooth, then place the saucepan over medium heat until it starts boiling. Switch to a lower heat, let it simmer for 15 minutes and keep on stirring slowly until the sauce thickens. Turn off heat and move the pan to the side to let it cool completely. 

     The chicken would be done by then. Take it out of the oven and place it on a wide stable surface. Do be careful during this part as I'm not proud to say that I've been burned by both the oven and tray before. Now, use a pair of tongs and a large fork to tear the chicken meat from its bones. After placing the deboned chicken in a large bowl, exchange the tongs with another large fork to shred the chicken into small strips. Here comes the fun part, put on a pair of disposable gloves, pour all of the barbecue sauce from before onto the chicken and use both hands to mix everything together. I would sometimes even have a bite or two of the chicken while doing this. I usually add a little salt to it, but that's just my style. Place the shredded chicken on the caramelized onions and put another slice of bread to finish it off.

     Now that I'm done with the sandwich, I will also prepare a drink to go with my meal. I will usually prepare my drinks based on the weather and occasion. If it's a hot sunny day, then I might make cucumber agua fresca: made from blended fresh cucumbers, water, lime juice, sweetener, and crushed mint leaves for a cooling taste. I might make a full pitcher or two if I'm having friends over as they had expressed their love for it before this. If the weather is colder, then some hot jasmine tea will do. I will also brew some coffee if I'm having a gathering.

     When everything is done, it's time to finally enjoy the meal. This meal can both be enjoyed alone or shared with family and friends. It is even suitable for occasions such as picnics, camping trips and so on.