Chef Shaun Hergatt of Juni in New York uses sautéed foie gras terrine to add a decadent twist to the classic bite

My most memorable Club Sandwich experience was 10 years ago on Langkawi Island in Malaysia. I ordered a sandwich at the Datai Resort, in the middle of the rainforest. It felt strangely good to be eating something so familiar in such tropical surroundings.

The secret to a great Club Sandwich is to slice the bread very thinly, so you can taste all the layers with each bite. At The Setai, when I was the opening executive chef, I actually made a ‘hot-pressed’ Club with this bread ratio in mind.

My own take on the Club Sandwich would include a Hudson Valley foie gras terrine, avocado purée, chicken, bacon, black truffle mayo, brioche and lettuce battered in tempura for texture.

Foie gras is an ingredient that brings depth and complexity to any dish. It’s also a vital component of my signature Juni dish ‘The Cherry Ripe’. Whenever I design a dish I try to keep the micro-seasons in mind. That’s why I’ve included black truffle mayo here. It’s also a nod to my Australian roots.

Ingredients (makes one sandwich)

20g sautéed foie gras terrine

1 brioche bun, thinly sliced and fried lightly in butter

10g truffle mayo (combine 2 parts whole egg mayonnaise with 1 part black truffle purée)

5g double-smoked bacon, grilled until crispy

30g chicken breast, grilled and sliced

3 romaine lettuce leaves, tempura battered and fried until crisp

2 lollo rossa leaves

For the avocado purée

50g ripe avocado

A dash of lemon juice

1 tsp salt

Method

1. Put the foie gras in the freezer for 3 hours.

2. Once frozen, microplane it and store in the fridge until ready to use.

3. Blend the avocado, lemon juice and salt into a purée. Pass through a fine sieve, then place the purée in a pastry bag with a fine-tip nozzle. Put to one side.

4. Begin building the sandwich, starting with fried bread, truffle mayo, crisp romaine, lollo rossa leaves, bacon and grilled chicken.

5. Place another slice of fried bread on top of the chicken and repeat the layering, and finishing with another slice of fried bread.

6. Garnish by adding the microplaned foie gras and piping on the avocado purée.

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This article has been tagged Food + Drink, Destination