Chicken Bacon Melt Sandwich

Let's Cook

1. 1Prepare the Sauce

   Drain the pickled red onion in a small sieve, pressing gently with the back of a spoon, then spread it on a paper towel. Wet onion is the single fastest way to a soggy sandwich. Set it aside while you cook.

2. 2Pickle the Onions

   10 min

   Lay the bacon in a cold skillet and set it over medium heat. Starting cold renders the fat slowly instead of seizing the meat. Turn the slices every couple of minutes; after 8 to 10 minutes they should be deep amber, stiff enough to hold their shape when lifted, and no longer bubbling hard. Drain on paper towels and pour off all but about a tablespoon of fat.

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   Save the rendered bacon fat you pour off in a jar. It keeps two weeks in the fridge and fries eggs or potatoes better than oil.

3. 3Grill the Chicken

   While the bacon renders, make the mayo. Put the mayonnaise, cilantro, egg, and oil in a blender and run it 30 to 45 seconds. It's ready when it turns pale green and holds a ridge for a second when you pull the spatula through. This sauce is uncooked, so use a pasteurized egg — cooked egg dishes need 160°F, and this one never gets there.

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   No blender? A tall jar and an immersion blender works. Keep the head on the bottom for ten seconds before lifting it slowly.

4. 4Cook the Bacon

   7 min

   Pound the chicken breasts to an even half inch between two sheets of plastic. Lay them in the bacon fat over medium heat and leave them alone for 6 to 7 minutes, until the underside is deep golden and releases without sticking. Flip and cook 6 to 7 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer in the thickest part must read 165°F. Rest 5 minutes, then slice thin on an angle.

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   If the chicken reads under 165°F but the outside is already dark, cover the pan for two minutes off direct heat rather than turning the burner up.

5. 5Assemble the Sandwich

   Butter one side of each bread slice. Turn two slices butter-side down and spread the cilantro mayo on the dry faces. Layer cheese, chicken, drained onion, bacon, then the remaining cheese — cheese against both bread slices, so it melts from both directions and glues the stack together. Close with the last slices, butter-side up.

6. 6Grill the Sandwich

   4 min

   Wipe the skillet and set it over medium-low. Griddle the sandwiches 3 to 4 minutes per side, pressing lightly with a spatula. Listen for a steady, quiet sizzle; a loud crackle means the heat is too high. They're done when the crust is evenly bronze and cheese has crept out the sides and set on the pan.

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   Two sandwiches crowd most skillets. Cook them one at a time and hold the first in a 200°F oven, uncovered, so the crust stays crisp.

7. 7Serve

   1 min

   Move to a board and let them sit 1 minute so the cheese stops running. Cut in half on the diagonal, then drizzle chipotle aioli over the cut faces and serve immediately.