Recipe: Best chicken sandwich

Best chicken salad. Photo / Doug Sherring

This is based on the chicken sandwich served at Harry's Bar in Venice, Italy. Its mounded shape is reminiscent of a Venetian bridge.

1 Mix shredded poached chicken with an excellent mayonnaise, preferably one you have made yourself from egg yolks and oil.

2 Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Season well and add lots of ripped fresh basil leaves.

3 Shed some iceberg or cos lettuce.

4 Set out sliced white bread with the crusts removed. Spread these with a thin layer of mayonnaise. For this substantial sandwich I use toast-cut, not sandwich bread.

5 Place some shredded lettuce on the bottom layer through the centre of the slice.

6 Mound the chicken mix (about a finger-thickness in height) over the lettuce.

7 Place the top layer of bread over this and press both sides down. Trim off any excess bread. Cut into two widthwise.

You could also use this filling in a two-tier club sandwich by putting the lettuce on one layer, and the chicken mix on the other.