The chicken sandwich is almost an institution. Any caterer worth their salt can whip up a delicious tray without even blinking. I cant imagine how many I made during my catering career! Perfect for any party, always a crowd pleaser.

Makes 30 finger sandwiches

• 1 x standard block loaf sliced thin
• 125gms butter melted
• 750gms chicken breast / 1 whole bbq chook
• 1&1/2 cups Mayo – Hellman’s or S&W
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3 Spring onions finely chopped
• The zest of 1 large lemon
• 1/3 cup herbs chopped (parsley, mint, basil)
• 1/3 cup toasted almond flakes OR
• 1 baby fennel bulb finely chopped
• Chives, nasturtium flowers to garnish

Method

1. If using chicken breast place in a ceramic baking dish, add salt and pepper, a squeeze of lemon juice & 1/2 cup water. Cover with foil and bake for approx 25-30mins at 180.
2. Allow to rest before dicing into little 1cm cubes. If using a bbq chook. Remove skin. Chop breast meat and shred brown meat.
3. Mix together mayo, sour cream, spring onion, herbs, almond &or fennel, S+P and lemon zest.
4. Add this to the chicken bit by bit until you think the chicken is well coated but not dripping with mayo etc.
5. Melt the butter completely. Stir well. Lay out the slices of bread in pairs. Using a pastry brush paint each slice of bread with butter.
6. Top 1/2 of the slices with the chicken mix. Leaving a 1cm border of bread free of the chicken mix adjacent to the crust. Use the other 1/2 of the bread to complete the sambos, popping the buttered side on top of the chicken mixture.
7. Stack in piles of two whole sandwiches.
8. Using an electric knife, cut all of the crusts off. (This is why you leave a 1cm border next to the crust free of chicken mixture, what a waste it would be to cut this off!!).
9. Cut the crust less sambos into 3 fingers or 4 squares. Sprinkle with chives, flowers, left over almond and chopped herbs. Cover completely with cling film until serving.
10. For circle sambos use a cookie cutter to cut out 3-4 circles from each slice. Top base with a tablespoon++ of chicken mix. Top with a circle and roll in herbs and flowers.

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@foodbyannabel

Photography: Claire Cosh