A very good chicken mayo toastie

Another week, another heatwave and personally…I’m not complaining.

You see I actually quite like this weather. Sure, UK homes are unable to cope with the heat - in fact, they’re designed solely to hold warmth for the winter months. So when it comes to a heatwave, it’s always much hotter inside than it is outside. But other than an uncomfortable sleep and a few extra cold showers, what’s not to love!! Blue skies, high vibes and long bright days, I personally cant get enough of it.

However, funnily enough, Tess thinks quite the opposite… You’d think being from South Africa and living in Vietnam for 4 years, she would be used to the heat but you would be very wrong! She doesn’t deal well with it and way prefers the cold, winter months - where she can wrap up warm and stay cosy.

So the idea of turning the oven on for nearly 2 hours full blast in the middle of a 30-something degree day, did not sit too well with her…Which I understand. No need to make the house hotter than it already is!

So with the strict instructions from my wife but to make something tasty, but keep the house below boiling - this rotisserie chicken mayo recipe was born! No oven, just a little stove top work to make the crispy chicken skin which i promise, is well worth a little sweat.

Kewpie vs Regular Mayo

Kewpie is a Japanese mayonnaise that has a few key differences. It only uses egg yolks rather than a whole egg, giving it a much creamier, richer taste. It also has a combination of apple cider, malt and rice wine vinegar for a fruitier, mellow twang compared to the regular sharpness of classic mayo. And finally Kewpie has the addition of MSG, something so many people fear for no real evidential reason. It enhances the flavours of the egg yolk and other ingredients resulting in a much better tasting mayo.

I find the combo of rich creamy Kewpie and the lighter sharper classic mayo works really well in lots of recipes. A little more balance with the best of both characteristics to improve the overall flavour.

Makes around 6 toasties

Chicken Mayo

• 1 Rotisserie Chicken, skin removed

• 2 stalks Celery, finely diced

• 1 Red Onion, finely diced

• 1tbsp/15ml Capers

• 20g Chives, finely chopped

• ¼ cup/60ml Kewpie Mayo

• ¼ cup/60ml Regular Mayo

• 2tsp/10ml Tabasco

Crispy Chicken Skin

• Chicken Skin from Rotisserie Chicken

• Olive Oil

• Flaky Sea Salt

Fillings

• 1-2 Tomatoes, sliced & salted

• 2 Cheddar Cheese Slices, per toastie

Extras

• 1 Sourdough Loaf

• Butter, for toasting

• Small handful Pepperoncinis

• Crisps

Chicken Mayo

1. Remove the skin from the rotisserie chicken in large pieces. Set the skin aside for later then shred all the meat from the bone and place in a bowl along with the juices from the rotisserie bag.

2. Finely chop the celery, red onion and chives then rough chop the capers and add them all to the same bowl. Add in the kewpie, regular mayo and tabasco with salt and pepper to taste. Wrap the bowl with clingfilm and place the bowl in the fridge until needed for the build.

Crispy Chicken Skin

1. Add a little drizzle of olive oil to a cold pan then place the chicken skins flat and spread out in the pan. Place over a low heat with a weight on top if you have one to keep the skins flat, and cook for around 8-10 minutes until the skin is crisp and golden.

2. Remove the skins from the pan and place on a kitchen paper towel to drain. Season the skins with flaky salt.

Note: for extra flavour, keep the fat in the pan — you’ll use this to fry the toastie in the Cook Toastie step.

Prep Tomatoes

1. Slice the tomatoes and season with salt at least 10 minutes before using. Set aside on a plate.

Build

1. Butter one side of the sourdough slices, then flip so the buttered side is on the outside.

2. Add some sliced tomatoes and a pinch of salt and pepper. Top with a couple spoons of the chicken mayo, some crispy chicken skins, 2 slices of cheese and the other slice of bread - with the butter facing the outside.

Cook Toastie

1. Heat a frying pan on low heat with a drizzle of olive oil, or use the pan used for frying the skins and use the leftover chicken flavoured oil. Place the toastie in the pan and cook for around 5 minutes per side until the cheese has melted and the sourdough is golden brown and crispy.

Serve with a side of pepperoncinis and crisps.

Bite the tip of the pepper, squeeze the juice onto the toastie and take a bite.

Matt x