Baby back ribs, brisket and hot boiled peanuts are all on the menu at Brad McDonald’s latest restaurant Shotgun, which brings a taste of the Deep South to London. Here the US native applies his ‘low and slow’ cooking philosophy to the classic Club Sandwich

I haven’t had a Club Sandwich in over a year, but I can still remember the last one I ate. It was on a Caribbean cruise for my mother’s 60th birthday, which just goes to show how far and wide you can find them.

Like any delicious food, the Club Sandwich requires a little love and attention to make it extra special. Personally, I think it’s all about the mayo – it’s the sauce of the dish that ties everything together.

For my twist on the Club, I’d let my passion for the South lead me. I grew up eating fried bologna sandwiches, so there’s no way I couldn’t include it here. At both of my restaurants we make our own smoked bologna in house, so we can guarantee that it’s great quality.

For the best taste, my Club Sandwich would feature bologna sausage made with turkey, bacon and ham shoulder. At Shotgun we add cubes of Cheddar cheese to it, before it’s seasoned with a hint of nutmeg and allspice. Once this mix has been stuffed into casings, we smoke it slowly for a few hours. After it’s chilled, we slice and pan-fry the discs of bologna to give them an amazing texture.

Brad’s American Club Sandwich (makes four sandwiches)

Ingredients

600g smoked bologna (bacon, turkey, and ham) sliced 1cm thick

20g softened butter

4 potato buns

120g pickle mayo (recipe below)

50g sliced gherkins

For the pickle mayo

250g mayo

16g smoked garlic purée

16g yellow American mustard

75g diced dill pickles

75g diced fermented onions

A pinch of freshly chopped dill

A squeeze of lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. In a non-stick pan, sear the slices of bologna for a few minutes on each side until nicely browned.

2. Spread the butter evenly on the inside of the rolls, then toast under the grill.

3. Mix the ingredients for the pickle mayo together until combined.

4. Spread the pickle mayo evenly over the bottom layer of the rolls.  

5. Place the hot bologna over the pickle mayo and then top with more sliced gherkins.

6. Serve hot with fries.

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This article has been tagged Food + Drink, Opinion