The Legendary Super Smoothie

THE SCHNITZEL SANDWICH WITH TRUFFLE

There’s a reason we love crunchy food: the sound signals to our brain that we’re about to eat something extra good. This recipe, like the Wabi-Sabi (see p.39), doubles up on crunch. This crispy chicken, paired with umami-rich truffle mayonnaise, makes a sandwich that might become your favorite if you aren’t careful.

INGREDIENTS

12 slices bacon, ±150g 2 chicken breasts, ±350g 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour 2 large free-range eggs, whisked 100g of panko breadcrumbs, with a pinch of sea salt 2 avocados, pits and skins removed 3–4 tbsp. vegetable oil 4 wholegrain bread rolls or small baguettes cut in half Truffle mayonnaise, to taste (±1–2 tbsp. per sandwich) 1 tbsp. olive oil 1 lemon, cut into wedges To serve (optional): cress and sprouts Vegetable oil

EQUIPMENT NEEDED

Baking paper

METHOD

1 Cook the bacon until it’s super crispy, either by frying it in a pan over medium-high heat, or by cooking it on a baking tray under a heated grill. Then drain it on kitchen paper. 2 Meanwhile, prepare the chicken. Cut the breasts horizontally in half, then place on a chopping board and cover with a piece of baking paper. Using a rolling pin, pound the chicken pieces until they are ±1cm thick. 3 Take three small bowls and put the flour in the first bowl, the whisked eggs in the second and the panko in the third. Dip the chicken fillets into the bowls one at a time; first in the flour, then the eggs and finally in the panko so they are completely coated. Repeat the last two steps, dipping in egg then panko, to coat the schnitzel in double crumb. Rolling pin

4 Heat a skillet over high heat with 3–4 tbsp. of vegetable oil, then fry the schnitzels, turning frequently until golden brown, crispy and cooked through. Set aside on to drain on kitchen paper. 5 While the chicken is cooking, cut the baguettes in half and brush them with olive oil and grill the topside until grill marks appear. Spread some truffle mayonnaise on both sides and then slice the avocado halves into thin slices. 6 To assemble the sandwich, spread the truffle mayonnaise on both sides of the bread rolls. Layer the avocado slices on the bottom, follow with the schnitzel and a generous squeeze of lemon, then the crispy bacon and finally, if using, the cress and sprouts on top. 7 Serve with extra wedges of lemon and more truffle mayonnaise.

SERVES 4