Our quest for the ultimate Club Sandwich stirs up a Twitter debate, while Pitt Cue Co’s Tom Adams gears us up for summer with a barbecue spin on the classic

A few issues ago, Man v. Food star Adam Richman gave us his take on the Club Sandwich. He turned out to be a bit of a fan, but it was his not-so-subtle love of avocado – “If a dish contains avocado, I will eat it, make love to it, or both,” he declared – that really opened up the debate on the twittersphere.

Some, like Executive Club Member Andrzej Moyseowicz, wholeheartedly approved. “I love local food and customs,” he says. “But when I know room service will be part of the backbone of late-working nights and midday creative sessions, I need to be able to count on filling brain food. The CS is that cornerstone. So, hotel chefs, don’t cut corners with the classic. And please, oh please, make sure there is some avocado in there somewhere.”

Others like @emzpolitz and @durangodawg13 were less enthusiastic about the superfood’s addition to the hotel room-service staple.

But we like a good debate here at The Club – whether it’s over avocados or how to eat a CS correctly, as flagged up by fellow Member Michael Cooper, who asks, “What is the correct way to eat a CS? Knife and fork or grab it with both hands and go for it?” If you’ve got an opinion or just want to shout about an excellent CS you’ve encountered on your travels, as always, we want to know.

With summer on our minds (and the inevitable picture of meat sizzling on a grill), we tracked down chef and barbecue maestro Tom Adams. Tom is one half of the duo behind London’s Pitt Cue Co, a cult meatopia famous for its gargantuan signature smoked ribs and bourbon-based cocktails.

“I haven’t eaten a Club Sandwich in ages,” Tom confesses, “but I remember them from when I was younger; filled with not enough chicken and too much mayo. It’s a perfect example of one of those things that can be incredible when executed well, and miserable when done badly.”

So how would he reinvent the classic? “The recipe below is a real bastardisation, but hopefully none the worse for it!” he says.

The Barbecue Club Sandwich
(Serves 1)

2 boneless chicken thighs, smoked (see recipe below)

2 slices of thinly sliced sourdough loaf

Half a head of shredded baby gem lettuce

1 tbsp smoked bacon and duck egg salad cream

½ tbsp mayonnaise (home-made, ideally)

2 x 8mm slices beefsteak tomato

4 thin slices braised bacon

Black pepper

Bone the chicken thighs and then brine in a 10 per cent salt solution with lots of aromats (coriander, thyme, black pepper, fennel, star anise and rosemary) for two hours, then smoke at 110°C to soften them before grilling. Toast both slices of bread – we use sourdough bread from Bread Bread in Brixton, which toasts really well. Toss the baby gem lettuce in the smoked bacon and duck egg salad cream (we make this in the restaurant from bacon-infused cream, confit duck egg yolk, mustard, vinegar and a pinch of sugar). Spread both pieces of toast with the mayonnaise and fill with the lettuce, tomato slices, bacon and chicken. Season well with black pepper.

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This article has been tagged Food + Drink, Opinion