Griddled Triple-Decker Club Sandwich

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A proper club, built the way hotel kitchens do it: three slices of white bread griddled in butter until the surfaces are crisp and golden rather than dry-toasted, layered with seasoned griddled chicken, thick bacon, ripe tomato and cold crisp lettuce, then skewered at four corners so the whole tower survives being cut into triangles.

Ingredients

• 1 large boneless skinless chicken breast (about 8 oz)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika

• 6 slices thick-cut bacon
• 6 slices soft white sandwich bread, cut thick
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 1 medium ripe tomato, cut into 4 thick slices
• 4 leaves iceberg or romaine lettuce, chilled
• to taste flaky salt and black pepper for the tomato

• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh chives or parsley
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper

• 4 long wooden or bamboo skewers / frilled cocktail picks

Instructions

1. Stir the mayonnaise, Dijon, chives, lemon juice and cayenne together in a small bowl. Refrigerate until you build the sandwich — it firms up and spreads better cold.
2. Butterfly the chicken breast: lay your palm flat on top and slice horizontally through the thickest edge to open it into two thin cutlets, about 1/2 inch thick. Rub with olive oil and season both sides with the salt, pepper, garlic powder and smoked paprika.
3. Lay the bacon in a cold 12-inch skillet or griddle and set over medium heat. Cook 8–10 minutes, turning occasionally, until deeply browned and crisp. Transfer to paper towels and pour off all but a thin film of fat, saving 1 tablespoon of the drippings.
4. Return the skillet to medium-high with the reserved drippings. Cook the chicken cutlets 3–4 minutes per side, until well browned and the center reads 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. Rest 5 minutes on a cutting board, then slice on a slight angle into 1/4-inch strips.
5. Wipe the skillet clean and set it over medium heat. Butter one side of each of the 6 bread slices, edge to edge. Griddle the slices buttered-side down in batches, pressing lightly with a spatula, for 2–3 minutes until deeply golden and crisp on that face only. The un-griddled side stays soft — that's what keeps the club tender inside.
6. Season the tomato slices with flaky salt and pepper and blot them briefly on a paper towel so they don't soak the bread. Tear the lettuce into pieces sized to the bread.
7. Build each sandwich griddled-side out at top and bottom. Spread herb mayo on the soft side of the bottom slice, then layer lettuce, tomato and 3 slices of bacon snapped in half to fit.
8. Spread mayo on both sides of the middle slice and set it on top. Layer the sliced chicken evenly, then more lettuce. Spread mayo on the soft side of the third slice and cap it, griddled side up. Press the stack down firmly with your palm for 5 seconds.
9. Push a skewer straight down through each of the four quadrants, about 1 inch in from the corners, until it hits the cutting board. This is what keeps the tower from sliding apart.
10. With a long serrated knife, cut the sandwich corner to corner into 4 triangles, sawing gently so each quarter is pinned by its own skewer. Serve immediately with chips or fries.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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