The Club Sandwich Mystery Box Challenge: What Would A Chef Do?

This time, Mike and Chef Kush were on the side, whilst Jamie and Baz were left to do the unboxing of very carefully selected ingredients. As Baz said, it wasn’t the usual “box of horrors” - I mean, on a scale that ends in an enormous red snapper fish (who remembers that?!), this was definitely a lot more tame. The box contained butter, eggs, mayo, tomatoes, bread, chicken breasts, lettuce, and pork… Which Jamie quickly recognised as key ingredients for a classic club sandwich!

Their task was easy… but it seemed so easy, that it threw them into a semi-meltdown of confused panic (my favourite type of BTS content to creepily capture from the side). Using ALL the ingredients from the box, the guys had to either go down the delish club sandwich route OR, they could’ve gotten as creative as they liked. Either way, their creations would have to impress Chef Ebbers! In typical Kush style, he provided guidance with a (big) splash of sabotage - so of course, I spoke to him to get his thoughts on the challenge:

What should Jamie have done differently?

“Jamie shouldn't have listened to me and instead should’ve just gone with his salad concept. He didn't balance the dish very well - it had too much mustard and vinegar. He could have also toasted the bread croutons before mixing them in, as this is typical of a Panzanella dish”

And what about Barry?

“Firstly, Barry left the kitchen 6 times to grab things… If he had written down what he was cooking beforehand, then he could’ve just got straight to it!

Barry should have focused more on balance and seasoning. He had lots of rich, fatty elements that needed some acidity and fresh herbs to even it out. A quick pickle would have made a nice garnish or filling, and a load of chopped herbs to lighten the dish would have been sensible. Also, I think there was far too much Bechamel smeared on top - this should’ve been a light touch instead.”

What would you have made instead?

“I would’ve made a classic club sandwich with toasted, sliced seeded wholemeal bread. Cooked and shredded chicken mixed with a mustard and parsley mayo, and a perfectly fried egg in the centre. Crisp bacon with seasoned tomatoes and a little extra mayo-bound lettuce. Finally, I’d cut it into the classic triangle shape, so that every point has a tiny bit of jammy egg yolk. That's all the ingredients they had… So no need for anything else. Battle won!”

That’s it from us, now it’s over to you! What would you have done instead? What ingredients should go into the next mystery box? Let us know on IG or Twitter - we love hearing from you.

Love,

Ishy @SortedFood