Cook’s in the Kitchen: The PNC Club
My first job out of culinary school was in downtown Baton Rouge at a place called Desiree's. I started there directly out of culinary school and found it to be both extremely challenging and rewarding. In the beginning I was the "sandwich chef" and made multitudes of gourmet style sandwiches alongside a handful of "classics with a twist." I made hundreds of sandwiches everyday yet the one I favored the most was the club. We used familiar products like turkey, bacon and cheese but the turkey we smoked in house and the bacon was cooked fresh every morning unlike many sandwich places which used precooked bacon for speed of service and convenience. Smoked gouda and Havarti dill cheeses were used rather than swiss and cheddar.
I'm saying all of this because it was an exciting time in my life as a young chef full of aspirations and vigor. Along the way I developed a belief that if you want to really grab a patron's attention and keep them coming back as loyal patrons, the best and most effective way to do that was by feeding them something that triggered a memory. Create a dish that may perhaps remind them of childhood or a time with a loved one or simply an enjoyable moment since gone by. In a task assigned to my team to promote teamwork and inclusion we asked that they create a sandwich that they all contributed to. Their final product not only took me by surprise but took me back to Desirée's and memories of being that young aspiring chef and the exciting time that it was. I was able to connect with my team in a way that was genuine and real. to empathize with them and better understand them. It actually kind of changed me. A sandwich changed me. That’s the kind of food a chef aspires to create. It was a moment I’ll not soon forget.
The "PNC" Club Sandwich
Sliced Sourdough Bread- brushed lightly with olive oil and toasted on a flat grill or in a pan
Boston Bibb Lettuce- washed and dried
"Never Ever" Black Forest Ham- never ever is chef talk for “antibiotic free-hormone free”
Maple Smoked NAE All-Natural Turkey Breast- NAE is no antibiotics
Jalapeno Bacon
Muenster Cheese
Aged Cheddar- Mild
Golden Heirloom Tomatoes- reds are fine but we liked the golden
White Remoulade:
This is enough for several sandwiches because it's difficult to make enough for only one sandwich!
1 C Mayo
Half squeezed Lemon
3 cloves Roasted Garlic
1 TBS pickled Goat Horn Chiles Mama lils (yummy)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
