Cooking Corner - Deli Sandwiches

Okay this is probably pretty simple stuff but I’ve been seeing all kinds of iterations of the same sandwiches and techniques.

The basic ingredients are basically the same no matter what protein you’re using. So let’s get into it.

The picture I took is Egg Salad on a Croissant, Chicken Salad on a Calabrese Bun, Shrimp Salad on Roll and Tuna Salad on Sour Dough Bread turned into a Tuna Melt.

PROTEIN PREP:

Important! The drier the meat the better. If the end product seems too wet, you can strain it or add a few bread crumbs. Egg is egg, can’t dry that.

Shrimp – I used 30-40 count thawed peeled and deveined. Mix / marinate shrimp with Salt, Pepper, 1 Tbsp of Baking soda and a fish seasoning if you have it and let it stand for 15 minutes before cooking. I used Old Bay. Boil until pink throughout, strain, and into an ice bath. You need to stop the cooking process or the shrimp will be tough. Strain and place on a pan or other surface that allows them to dry. You may want to pat them down with a paper towel. Into the fridge to cool.

Note: If bigger shrimp are all you have, simply cut them up to a size you want for your sandwich after cooking. Not too small or you’ll miss the flavour when enjoying. You can also buy precooked 90-130 count shrimp, which I have used and they are great.

Chicken – Breast Boiled in water with chicken stock. While still warm cube the chicken and evenly season with Salt, Pepper, Granulated Garlic or Powder and a bit of sugar. Yep sugar. Press the seasonings into the chicken and then into the fridge. Pulled meat from Rotisserie Chicken would work great for this and you don’t need to cook it.

Egg – Ok how do you cook and peel your hard boiled eggs. I’ve tried all the suggestions from lots of chefs. Here’s what I do. Place eggs in Cold Water and 1 Tbsp white vinegar, in right sized pot. Turn the burner to high. Allow to come to a full boil. Put on the lid and turn the burner off. Timer 20 minutes and then into an ice bath. Allow to cool. I keep hard boiled eggs in my fridge for sliced or salads or I can make a small amount for Egg salad. I find the longer they are in the fridge the easier they are to peel. Older eggs will have had a chance to dehydrate which will allow the Shell to peel easier? No idea if that’s actually correct but it sounds worth paying attention to. When peeled chop into small pieces.

Tuna – Canned Tuna in water is fine. Squeeze all the water out of the can before removing Tuna. That’s it for this one. Pre-cooked product. Do the same for Salmon Salad.

BASIC DELI RECIPE

I’m not quantifying all of the Ingredients. Why? Because you’ll be using whatever quantities of protein that you want and will add other ingredients as you see fit.

Mayonnaise – I add 1 Tbsp at a time until I have the consistency I want. Err on the side of less, you can add but not subtract. Use Hellman’s mayonnaise if you can. It’s the real thing we have available at our markets.

Celery chopped small to add crunch. About ¼ cup per recipe. More or less is up to you.

White Onion chopped small. Onion can be strong and off putting. To make it mild, place chopped onion into a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes. Strain and allow to dry.

Dijon Mustard – it’s what I use but any other mustard will be fine. Start with a table spoon, taste and add if you wish.

Garlic, granulated or powder. 1 Tbsp or so as you wish. Taste.

Salt and Pepper to taste. You can always add more later, so careful.

SHRIMP ONLY INGREDIENTS

Dill fresh chopped SHRIMP ONLY. My Dill is done for the year so I used a Dill paste that I keep in the fridge. Or use just a bit of dried Dill. Again add a little at a time to taste.

Seafood seasoning. SHRIMP ONLY. Again I used Old Bay. Careful seasoning can be very salty. You may not need to add more salt.

Fresh Lemon Juice – Lemon juice brightens the flavour – start with a little and add as you need. This is a background flavour. Take it easy.

CHICKEN ONLY INGREDIENT

Sugar CHICKEN ONLY. 1 Tbsp or so.

Method: Protein into a big bowl then simply add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well cover and into the fridge. You must allow the ingredients and flavours to meld. Minimum 3 hours and preferably over-night. Before using, take a look at the consistency. Do you need to add more mayo, drain through a sieve or add bread crumbs. Do what you need to for your own happiness.

You can add lettuce or bean sprouts to the sandwich. Or not. Up to you. Let your imagination run wild.

BREAD – You can see from the pictures I used 4 formats. There are so many breads to choose from. Medium soft breads are best.

The shrimp in the bread roll was supposed to be like a Lobster roll. If you want to splurge, Lobster or Crab is a good substitute for Shrimp. Or a combo?

TUNA MELT

Open faced or regular. I added cheese and cooked like you would a grilled cheese in a pan with butter.

Open Faced: Build, Bread toasted, Tuna Salad, Tomato slices, Cheese sliced or grated. Into the oven at 350 degrees about 10 minutes. Done.

Taste testers enjoyed and rated my sandwiches.

1. Shrimp

2. Egg

3. Tuna

4. Chicken

I like them all, but I’m not the best judge, I’m just the cook. ■