An absolutely not-basic, not-bland, not-dry sandwich, right this way.
Roasted? Smoked? Honeyed? To avo or not to avo?
Molly and Declan make a turkey sandwich that's, dare we say, succulent and not boring.
Thanks to our listeners for your questions, and we still need your help! Send your burning sandwich questions (not burning sandwich, you know what we mean) to podcasts@food52.com.
Mystical galactic voiceover: Peanut butter and jelly. Grilled cheese. Pastrami. Tuna salad. The Sandwich Universe.
Declan Bond: Welcome back, everyone, to The Sandwich Universe, where everything is a sandwich.
Molly Baz: And a sandwich is absolutely everything.
Declan: I'm Declan Bond. I'm a professional eater, sandwich enthusiast, and honestly just representing the civilian class here in the Sandwich Universe, learning about ten iconic sandwiches from the United States.
Molly: And I'm Molly Baz. I am a professional chef. I'm also a cookbook author, recipe developer, and I'm here kind of representing the pros, and here to try and help you level up your sandwich game. So this episode is all about a very humble sandwich, a sandwich that I think we all know, some of us love, um, and is maybe the sandwich that is made the most frequently in the home kitchen. Maybe? And that is the turkey sandwich.
Declan: It is like, one of those sandwiches that you feel like is so ubiquitous, but it's not like one that you order often. It's not one that you, like you said, it's kind of humble. It has this like, you know, uh, very mild flavors usually.
Molly: Dare we say boring?
Declan: (laughing) Yeah, maybe it is just boring af.
Molly: It's a little bit bore snores. Um, and so I think that our mission's pretty clear here today. Let's make a bomb dot com turkey sandwich, because it doesn't need to be boring. Turkey is kind of bland. Um, even the best turkey is kind of bland, but that doesn't mean the whole sandwich needs to be that way. And I think we have the tools to make a really bomb turkey sandwich.
Declan: Yes.
Molly: I want to set some parameters first though, and just say that this is not the turkey club episode. And we thought about doing a turkey club episode, and then we thought, is anyone actually making turkey clubs at home? And isn't that really just a BLT with turkey on it? We already did the BLT episode, and wouldn't it probably serve our listeners better to try and find our way towards a really delicious, just straight up turkey sandwich that doesn't require a sizzling bacon. And so that's what we're going to do.
Declan: I do want to pick up on--you know, the fact that you mentioned turkey is is pretty bland, and that's like, the kind of thing of it. It's got this like salt watery, but just very mild character. And I think the name of the game is, how do you like, build something, you know, with the base as, as mild and bland and, and simple and humble, uh, as that, and yet come out the other side with something that really, uh, is craveable, desirable, delicious.
Molly: And maybe even, how do we lean into that blandness and that neutrality as a, as a foil for some of the other bolder flavors. Like, let's, let's play into that part and let that be a strength and not a weakness.
Declan: Yeah. There's another thing about turkey that I feel like most meats don't have, which is, there's a kind of--because of the like, simplicity of the flavor, it's--it has--and also when it's really cold, it has this like freshness to it. Like, most meats I wouldn't think to describe it as like, fresh. Cold deli turkey meat has a kind of like cool, refreshingness--
Molly: It's refreshing. It really is.
Declan: Yeah.
Molly: Clean. It's really clean. And sometimes that's what you want in a sandwich. So, alright. Well, shall we define it--is there a definition for it? Do you have the Wikipedia page up, actually?
Declan: I just have the club sandwich page, where--the club sandwich apparently originated in New York at Union Club of New York City.
Molly: I don't know if there is an origin story to the turkey sandwich. It feels like it's like, it's like the club without the bacon that someone started making at home, cause they were like, I'm too lazy to make the bacon. And so it's like, there isn't this like iconic starting point for the history of the turkey sandwich, or at least not one that we can trace.
Declan: It's also a very American sandwich, it feels. And maybe that's because America, like the United States, at least, we produce a lot of turkey. I, I looked up a stat on this, and according to the National Turkey Federation, so they're obviously biased, probably fluffing these numbers, but it was tallied that in 2020, 224 million birds raised, equaling 7.3 billion pounds of turkey.
Molly: That's a fuck ton of turkey. (laughing) But my question for you is: how many of those billion pounds are consumed on one single day of the year?
Declan: I thought you'd never ask. (laughing) So, wait, on one single day, I don't know, but I, I also, if you just search turkey consumption U.S., Google will tell you that 16 pounds of turkey per person were consumed in the U.S.
Molly: Annually. Okay. So that, that makes me believe that people are messin' around with turkey a lot more than just on Thanksgiving. Cause ain't nobody eating 16 pounds in one in one sitting, even considering like, leftovers the next day. Maybe like, we're maybe netting out at three quarters of a pound to one pound of meat per person, Thanksgiving included. So the rest of the year, there's another 15 pounds.
Declan: That's almost a pound a month.
Molly: Right. So that's, if you figure there's a quarter pound of meat on every sandwich, people are eating, on average, four turkey sandwiches a month, once a week.
Declan: Once a week. So what is that per day? I don't know. You do the math.
Molly: (laughing) Uh, one, one 30th. No, one...don't make me do the math. Come on, man. It's not my strong suit.
Declan: One last fun fact. I did my traditional "Florida man" search, and the Miami Herald reports that a Florida man was arrested after a fight. A turkey sandwich was his weapon, cops say.
Molly: (laughing) Wait wait wait. So like, he was attacking someone with a turkey sandwich.
Declan: Yeah. He used it as a weapon. (laughing)
Molly: Feels like the wrong sandwich to use. I like probably, would have grabbed an Italian.
Declan: Yeah, I was going to say the Italian is like...
Molly: You know, something like, heftier. (laughing) Or like, a ham and cheese on a baguette. That's actually a weapon, but okay. You know, use what you got.
Declan: Use what you got.
Molly: Um, okay. Let's take a quick break and then we'll come back and we'll answer some questions and try to get to the bottom of it. But before we go, some ads!
(midroll)
Molly: So let's take our first question. This one is from @becky_brewer, and she asks:
Call-in: Why do people eat turkey sandwiches? I just don't understand.
Molly: (laughing) Honestly, Becky, what a great question.
Declan: Yeah. We're, we're equally puzzled in some sense, but also, I do think, like we said, there is this lightness, um, it's kind of like a sandwich that it doesn't like, weigh you down at the end of it. And I feel like that's like, the appeal, is that it feels light and fresh.
Molly: Totally. It's lean.
Declan: And, uh, and it's also very easy to like, you know, throw it together. There's not really anything cooked involved, at least not that I'm thinking of, but...
Molly: And the kind of deli sliced turkey that most people are getting from grocery stores is like, pumped with preservatives. So it's kind of like, it's sitting in your fridge and it lasts a long time. So it's the kind of sandwich, unfortunately, that you can have at a moment's notice and, um, at any time. But I do think generally speaking, like it's a lighter, it's on the lighter side of sandwiches. So if you're not like all in, on an Italian hoagie on any particular day, but you have a hankering for a sandwich, um, turkey sandwich is a great option.
Declan: Yeah.
Molly: Uh, but generally, I mean, I, I'm not sure what Becky's take is here, but I do hear her in asking that question.
Declan: Well, hopefully by the end of the episode, we'll have a really strong reason.
Molly: Yeah. That would be, we will have one.
Declan: Next up is @marybell_angelica, who asks:
Call-in: What kind of turkey is king? Peppered, roasted, honey, maybe sweet.
Molly: Sweet?
Declan: I guess she must have mean like, honey roasted, or honey glazed or something like this. Which I just, yeah, I'm not, I'm not for that. Um...
Molly: Uh, I'm not...me either. Um, my personal preference is either just like straight up roasted, so no like major influence of any type of seasoning, or, I can get down with smoked turkey.
Declan: Again, back to the kind of humble character of it. It's like, it's not something that I think of as smoked or not. It just is kind of, let me put it this way. I've never had a turkey, a slice of turkey or a turkey sandwich, where I'm like, "Oh wow. The smokiness of the turkey is really coming through."
Molly: Yeah. It's definitely still pretty mild, even smoked turkey. But it is like, it is an asset. And so I think it's something to just like, to consider. I think kind of the end of the day, my recommendation to all of you, if you're like, if you're interested in diving deep into turkey, is take one for the team, go to the grocery store, buy four or five packs of turkey from different brands and do a side-by-side taste test. Like, there are some really, really inferior brands of turkey out there. I like Applegate. A lot of people were saying like, "What's the brand, what's the brand?" Applegate, I think, has like a pretty consistent product. And so if we're just talking about cruising the sliced deli meat aisle, I would say just like, do a little bit of market research and figure out which one you like best. Okay. This one is coming in from @alyssacronenberg, and she says: "Teach me how to roast a turkey breast." Okay. So I think this is a great one because I do think that if you're up for it, roasting your own turkey is definitely the answer. Um, and it's not that hard to, to get a, a, just a single turkey breasts from a butcher shop, um, or a grocery store, especially around Thanksgiving, but mostly all times of the year. And it's really, really not that hard to roast it. And you have such control over the juiciness and the moisture and the seasoning. And that's, those are the elements that are often overlooked or, um, underwhelming in store-bought turkey. So here's what I would do.
Declan: How big is a turkey breast?
Molly: How big? It probably weighs like--
Declan: I feel like I haven't even seen one that...that isn't on a turkey.
Molly: It probably weighs like two and a half to three pounds, if that helps you. So like the equivalent of like, five or six chicken breasts puts together.
Declan: Ok, wow. Five or six, yeah, that's quite a few.
Molly: So here's what I would do. I would buy the turkey breast whole and, and on the bone, if possible. If not, no big deal. I would season it all over aggressively with kosher salt. And then...you could add any other seasoning on it, like, a little mixture of, you know, brown sugar, black pepper, and smoked paprika could be really awesome. Or you could just keep it really simple, salt and pepper, rub it all down and set it in the refrigerator for two days, like 48 hours, we're talking. Because you want that salt to really, really penetrate the entire turkey breast and season it all the way through. If you roast it immediately, only the outside of the turkey best will be seasoned. So you leave it in the refrigerator for a couple of days, and then you roast it in a 300 degree oven on a baking sheet, on a wire rack set inside the baking sheet with a little bit of water in the baking sheet to provide, to like add moisture, basically, into the oven as it's cooking. We're not really looking for browning here. Ultimately, you know, the skin, once it's cold is going to be flabby and kind of unappealing anyway. So you'll probably take that off. So what we're really trying to do is ensure the moistest breast at the end of the day, (laughing) two words that should never be in a sentence together. A moist breast! And roast it low and slow at 300, until, um, the internal temperature, which that you can stick with, uh, with the instant read thermometer, is like 150. And that will mean that you can then remove it from the oven and it will--150 to 155. It will continue to carry over another 10 to 15 degrees, which will be then like, safe to eat and cooked through. But no further than that, because that's when we get into dry mealy turkey territory. And that, I don't know how long that would take. 45 minutes, maybe an hour. It's not that long, because we're talking about one single breast. And then you chill it down and then you slice it thinly once it's cool. And then you've got really bangin' turkey for your turkey sando.
Declan: Wow. I, I will admit that as someone who probably wouldn't do that, normally, the idea of spending a full--I mean, I guess it's not really doing things for two days, but 48 hours! I know like, a roasted chicken, you do a similar thing, but...it feels like a long time to spend for my turkey sandwich.
Molly: Yeah, well, you're lazy, so, I don't know what to tell you. (laughing) Also, also it's like, it's not for one sandwich. Like, that will last you so many sandwiches.
Declan: Yeah. Yeah. Oh yeah. It's many, many sandwiches. Yeah. Um, I do have one question. How do you slice turkey quite so thin when you don't have one of those, you know, industrial grade slicers that's, you know, the spinning blade and everything.
Molly: Uh, you don't. You just don't. But if you have moist meat, like, it doesn't, you know, it just doesn't really matter. Like, think about, you know, a chicken cutlet sandwich. It's like a half an inch width. That's kind of what you're doing when you're slicing a turkey breast. And that's not like, hard to chew or something. It becomes hard to chew when it's over cooked.
Declan: I wonder, now that we're, like, saying it, I wonder if that's like, the best thickness. Like, maybe the really thin sliced turkey is just, it's never going to be the right thickness. And we should actually just be targeting a thicker cut of turkey as the layer of meat.
Molly: It's a little more toothsome, it's got like a little bit more to bite into.
Declan: Exactly.
Molly: I think--yeah. I mean, honestly, like it's a question for the folks behind the deli counter. Like, why are we slicing our turkey so thin?
Declan: Who made the rules?
Molly: Who made the rules? Cause it wasn't us, and it should have been. (laughing) But if we choose to roast our own turkey, I think we make the rules. And so I think, you know, a third of an inch or a quarter of an inch is like, totally fine.
Declan: Okay. Let's roast a turkey.
Molly: Okay, let's roast a turkey! Don't tempt me with a good time. Alright, here's a question from @morganrose.yoga, and she asks: "Mustard or mayo?" And I would like to ask her--
Declan: Both!
Molly: Why choose? That's a hard both.
Declan: I can't imagine a turkey standards with either, you know, just one of, either of those things being the best case.
Molly: Although I will say, if we do, if we do want to start talking about like, zhuzhed-up mayos, I kind of feel like you can zhuzh up a mayo, sans mustard, and that can--
Declan: Well, yeah, I mean, if we talk about zhuzhed, then yes, of course.
Molly: But if we're just talking like, basic ass, like, we're putting turkey, lettuce, tomato, mustard, and mayo on a sandwich, definitely put both of those in there. The mayonnaise is crucial in providing fat and moisture and lubrication for the sandwich. And the mustard is crucial in delivering a little bit of heat and bite and acidity, which already like, is majorly lacking in a classic turkey sandwich.
Declan: Alright, this one comes to us from @atsmoscow86.
Call-in: What is the most egregious sin one can commit when constructing a turkey sandwich?
Declan: Wow.
Molly: I think for me, it's a, it's a condimentless sandwich.
Declan: Yeah. That's--I think that's, that's--and then that's a pervasive sin.
Molly: Yeah. Like more often than not, peeps be sinning.
Declan: We are a nation of sinners.
Molly: Um, we're turkey sinners. Turkey sando sinners. That, for me, would be the egregious, the most egregious sin, and then paired with--and this kind of goes for all sandwiches, it's maybe not specific to turkey, an out of season tomato. I don't know why everyone just puts tomatoes on turkey sandwiches like they belong there. Like, only put it on there if it's helping you out. Not if it's harming you. Right now, put it on there. Like, I think we probably should put a tomato on our turkey sandwich when we make one. It's the middle of summer. There's no reason for that to be on there otherwise. What is it doing?
Declan: God, you have such low tolerance for an out of season tomato.
Molly: Oh my god, do you not?
Declan: I feel like, I feel like I'm mostly with you, but there are moments where I feel like, despite all, I sometimes will just do it. I mean, especially with like a dry turkey sandwich. Like, when I imagine a turkey sandwich that doesn't have even a tomato to help get some, you know, some kind of moisture in there. I'm like, oh my God, it's almost worse.
Molly: Yeah. I mean, maybe I'm a little bit of a stickler about it, but I just think it's within our power if we're making them at home to make good decisions about tomatoes. You know? If you're out at an airport, like, and you know, you have limited resources, that's another--
Declan: You don't need to take the tomato off it's not in season.
Molly: (unconvinced) Mmm. (pause) Anyway. (both laughing) This one's coming in from @spakiosart.
Call-in: Hello to all of you sandwich people out there. My question is, chips on sandwiches, yes or no?
Molly: I'm going to let you answer that and I hope I know what your answer is going to be.
Declan: On a turkey, yes. I feel like turkey sandwiches are, you know, as with many sandwiches, suffer a bit of the fate of like a one kind of note. And also, and this is slightly adjacent question, but the, the amount of turkey meat on an average turkey sandwich is just like, too much.
Molly: Oh my God, that might be the most egregious sin. I think that might be the sin, the 400 slices of turkey on a turkey sandwich? Unnecessary.
Declan: It's just not, yeah, it's not required.
Molly: Working against you.
Declan: But anyways, I feel like, when you're getting a turkey sandwich out in the wild, it's, it's super common, obviously, to just get a bag of chips. It feels like it, you know, shows up. You just have a bag of chips. And I feel like, when you're having a kind of uninspired turkey sandwich, it is kind of nice to throw them in there, but I'm not sure we need it if we're making it at home.
Molly: Okay. I respect that. I think I kind of always welcome a chip in a sandwich. Maybe not always. I don't want it in a BLT. I think it's really fun in a tuna salad sandwich. I think it could be a fun thing here. Like I'm, I'm seeing like a salt and vinegar chip--
Declan: Love a salt and vinegar.
Molly: --in a, in a turkey sandwich, and that's speaking to me for whatever reason right now. Again, acid, important in a sandwich. And I feel like that's a really easy way for people to level up their sandwiches at home without having to go through like, all of, like, making pickles, and like, you know, all of these condiments. And it's like, everybody's got a bag of chips on hand, or if not, it's easy to access one. And so I feel like that could be a good kind of like, hot tip.
Declan: I think the placement of the chip in terms of the stack is kind of important. Like, if you put chips on your sandwich and it's like, the first layer after the top layer of bread, I'm like, what happened? Like, you missed. But if you put it, if you can manage to get it into like, the folds of turkey and it just kind of like, you know, layers in nicely, and, I feel like that actually sounds really pretty good.
Molly: Yeah. It's almost like, it needs to be one with the innards of the--it needs to be its own like, kind of like, element of the innards of the sandwich, and not an afterthought that's like, kind of falling off and maybe also scraping the roof of your mouth because it cuts through the bread.
Declan: Yeah.
Molly: Okay. So potato chips, yes, and put them in the middle of your sandwich. Here's one coming in from @blanca.nyc. And she says:
Call-in: Do turkey sandwiches really make you sleepy?
Molly: I actually don't know the answer to this, but I'm going to look it up once and for all. Is tryptophan a thing in turkey?
Declan: Does--will Google confirm this for us? I'm sure it will.
Molly: Okay. First things first. Yes, turkey does contain tryptophan, which does promote good sleep and a good mood. Which, by the way, is different from, like, inducing sleep. "Adults who take tryptophan supplements take doses of five grams before bed to help improve sleep. By comparison, two servings of turkey contains about 410 milligrams of tryptophan. So that also means that you'd have to eat 20 servings of turkey to equal one dose of tryptophan." So I feel like, if you're an overeater at Thanksgiving, which most of us are, you might be bordering on sleep-inducing tryptophan territory. Like, if you're the person who goes back for 20 helpings, you might be concerned. (laughing)
Declan: 20 servings is like one supplement pill worth.
Molly: Yeah. But I also feel like the reason most people fall asleep after Thanksgiving is because they just ate entirely too much food altogether. (laughing) And so I think the short answer is no, a turkey sandwich will not put you to sleep.
Declan: And that's that. (laughing) Alright, this one's from @wowstrong, who asks, "Cheese? No cheese?"
Molly: I, I feel like, cheese, for me, why not?
Declan: I think turkey is--we've said it a million times now, but it's, it's such a mild meat that, uh, and the sandwich tends to be mild, so, I feel like we have to doctor it up with some cheese. And, and obviously Swiss is classic. I feel like a turkey Swiss is classic, but I don't think Swiss is the right choice, because it is also kind of mild.
Molly: I wonder if this is a moment for like a habanero cheddar.
Declan: Mmm.
Molly: Is that so specific? Like, some kind--or like a pepper jack, or...
Declan: A pepper jack variant. Yeah.
Molly: Something like that.
Declan: I kinda like that. Uh, I feel like there's, this is a place for that to shine, because it's not competing with a lot of other stuff. And it can, it can really do some, some heavy lifting in the flavor department.
Molly: Yeah, I think it's like play around, let, let the cheese shine, play around with different, different flavors. And do something full flavored. Like, tend towards something sharper and more full flavored than something mild. Like, don't get me started on provolone, but like...ugh, the pairing of turkey and provolone is like disastrous when it comes to this sandwich, because they're just not doing each other any favors.
Declan: Wholeheartedly agree.
Molly: Okay. This one's coming in from @mariajoesalgado: "What bread?"
Declan: What bread it is?
Molly: Interestingly, I feel like, I feel like when it comes to a turkey sandwich, like...it's like, we don't have to be as prescriptive with the bread as we do with something else. Like, with a hoagie, it's like, absolutely not anything but a hoagie roll, you know what I mean? But with a turkey sandwich, like, it's kind of, any kind of sliced bread works for me.
Declan: I think there are some boundaries to be drawn though. Like, I don't really want it on squish bread. I'm pretty comfortable saying that. I feel like something hearty is nice.
Molly: Oh, dare we say sesame sourdough?
Declan: (laughing) I was thinking about sesame sourdough as--of course I was thinking about that, but then it was like, again, in this context, it's, it's such a mild flavor. Like, what if we really dialed up the seediness and went beyond sesame, and we've got the, you know, pepitas and poppy and, and you know, all the different seeds in like a very seedy, nice sourdough loaf.
Molly: Okay, well, what do you think about this idea? And this is technically, I guess, maybe in the squish bread category, but, pumpernickel.
Declan: Oh, wow. Yes. But it doesn't have to be squishy. We can just do good pumpernickel.
Molly: Good pumpernickel bread.
Declan: But I love the idea.
Molly: Feels like, so right.
Declan: Yeah. And suddenly I'm like remembering like, that this is actually kind of classic with--when you get like a turkey sandwich on the marbled pumpernickel rye. I'm not saying that's a good idea, but it just reminded me of that.
Molly: Yeah. It, first, for whatever reason, pumpernickel and turkey is calling my name right now. And I feel when we make our sandwich, that shall be the bread.
Declan: Okay, I'm on board with that. But I want seeds on there too. So we're going to put some seeds on.
Molly: Okay, fine, we'll lacquer some seeds onto it. (laughing) Or, focaccia feels fun!
Declan: Oh, wow. Yeah. I also didn't think of that.
Molly: That feels really fun, honestly.
Declan: I feel like with focaccia, we're going to have to really--well, with thick turkey and then like some, something, some kind of spicy cheese to like, really, kind of boost the moisture, so that like, you know, as you, as you get those bites, they like really are able to like, help you through a thicker bread type. I feel like that's going to be good. Maybe rosemary or something on the focaccia.
Molly: So you're feelin' the focacch.
Declan: I'm feeling the focacch. I'm torn, I'm torn between a seedy pump and a focacch.
Molly: I'm torn too.
Declan: Let's do focacch. I feel like, I feel like it's a great way to like, change the vibe of a turkey sandwich.
Molly: Okay, great. I love it.
Declan: You--right? It's like, it's a, it's a totally new, renewed interest for me in the turkey, if it's on focacch.
Molly: Great. And that's all we need. We're just trying to renew everyone's interest in the turkey sandwich. So focaccia it is, which brings us to the next part of this show, which is the part in which we design our ultimate turkey sandwich. So we just landed on focaccia as the bread of choice, which we both feel really good about.
Declan: What about olives?
Molly: Yeah. Could, could be interested in that, but it really depends on what happens on the inside. And I want to talk about that, and I think before we even get to the turkey and everything, cause there are honestly like, kind of limited options when it comes to that, let's talk about just the general sort of flavor profile and direction that we want to go with this sandwich in terms of the condiments and the other things that are filling it out.
Declan: Mmhmm. I want something spicy.
Molly: Something along the lines of a spicy salsa verde, or chimichurri, like an herby scalliony, uh, like, sliced chilies and parsley and cilantro type of situation, that also then gets stirred into mayonnaise. So it's like a spicy green chimichurri mayo.
Declan: Mmm. Mmm. That sounds so delicious.
Molly: Oh my God, really? Because one time I made you chicken with chimichurri and you basically like, scoffed at me, and you were like, "Oh, this? This green sauce? Like, you can do better than that. Chicken in green sauce?" And so now I'm like, "Oh God, never make green sauce around him again."
Declan: (laughing) That was purely for show. I loved the green sauce.
Molly: And then proceeded to like slam the whole thing. (laughing)
Declan: I know.
Molly: Okay. And then in the turkey category, or--let's, let's talk about other, other things. Like, do we want to put pickles? We want to put greens, like, I think that's a great place to explore, like, other textures. So what kind of greens are we putting on there? Is it little gems, because I feel like it is.
Declan: Something like that, or watercress was like, kind of calling. Just, but maybe it's too much with the green chimichurri mayo to like, go more green.
Molly: Yeah. It kind of feels like it's redundant, almost. Yeah. And what I like about the little gems is like the ribs and the potential for a little bit of crunch there.
Declan: Okay! Um, I'm game. I'm also thinking about two things. Uh, one, tomatoes, obviously we've alluded to this. I think they could be good.
Molly: Yeah, we're doing it.
Declan: And you know, while I am generally in favor of keeping things simpler, I somehow feel like--and I'm sure listeners out there are thinking this too--what is the status of a avocado in a turkey?
Molly: I knew you were going to say it.
Declan: And I know you're not going to like it, but just hear me out and then shoot me down after.
Molly: (laughing) Okay, I'm listening.
Declan: So I feel like avocado has a lot of fat, obviously, which I think is a good compliment for, uh, for turkey, which is a very lean meat. Um, and I feel like, if you get a really nicely ripe avocado it's, it's not so, um, you know, gushy as like a mayonnaise condiment, uh, it still has a tiny bit of toothiness, if you, you know, cut it in a little, you know, uh, like, shingle, uh, shingle it. And I feel like it, it adds a layer of, of slick, and, uh, you know, kind of all those things that can be nice.
Molly: Okay fine, I'm in.
Declan: Wow, nice one. (laughing)
Molly: Yeah, you sold it. And also like, I feel like I can't finish this entire podcast without having talked about, or at least been open to, avocado on a single sandwich. And so this is going to be the one for me.
Declan: Okay. I think you're going to be convinced it's a good idea.
Molly: And then I really want to put potato chips in it.
Declan: Yes.
Molly: Do you feel like that's not something you want? Like, salt and vinegar potato chips? Let's go!
Declan: Let's do it. I feel like it'll also, now that we've committed to avocado, that's like a nice textural counterpoint, uh, you know, cause it's going to get a little bit, uh, you know, more bound, more--
Molly: Smooshy.
Declan: More smooshy, and now we have something to disrupt all that smooshiness, which is great. Last question is cheese, which we've talked about a bit, and now, now we've got a pretty jam packed sandwich.
Molly: I say eff the cheese.
Declan: I was just going to say that. I was like, is it going to get, to just be overwhelming? And I hate to see the habanero cheddar go, but I just kind of think we've, we've done too much already.
Molly: We have. And I think when we opened the door to the avocado, we closed the door to the cheese.
Declan: Oof, you're going to put that on me, huh? (laughing)
Molly: Yep. (laughing) Because--also we need to talk about the turkey, and are we getting deli sliced turkey? Or am I going to roast a turkey breast?
Declan: No, we are roasting a turkey. I want to know. Cause we, cause we want a thick cut. I want it thick cut. I'm, I'm imagining like a big, you know, third of an inch cut turkey breast as the core component.
Molly: Okay. Okay.
Declan: And I'm really excited about it.
Molly: Then I'm going to do like a pretty simple, maybe some kind of like an herb rub, because to--because we're doing this like herby chimichurri, but a pretty simple seasoning on it, and I will roast it for us. And you will see the ways of the housemade roast turkey. Okay. One last thing, like, we haven't talked about pickles. (laughing)
Declan: (laughing) Pickles, pickles, just should be around. They should be about.
Molly: It's table stakes.
Declan: Pickles are about, when you eat a turkey sandwich.
Molly: Do you know what, honestly, I actually wish we had? Pickled green tomatoes instead of tomatoes. Doesn't that feel like--
Declan: You're thinking of that salty BLT again.
Molly: Yes I am. Yes I am. And I'm feeling like, maybe that would have been the solution. We could--we--I could--here's what I'll do. I'll pick up some, like, firm tomatoes, some nice, like firm heirlooms that are barely ripe, and we'll just quick pickle them. So we'll just like, douse them in a little bit of vinegar, salt and sugar, and let them like, marinate in that. And that'll be like a really like, cheaters quick pickle and that'll be the tomato and pickle option.
Declan: Great.
Molly: Alright. We have a sandwich, and I am so jazzed to eat this. Like, we have come so far since the beginning of this episode.
Declan: Honestly, I, I feel like if we pull this energy off, we will have succeeded in our mission to renew faith in the universe, and enthusiasm in the turkey sandwich.
Molly: Yeah. I need to go find a turkey breast now. Ahhh!
(musical interlude)
Molly: Okay, well, it's just me at home alone here. And apparently I'm just going to make this turkey by myself, because the big dog isn't coming for another two days, and I need to prep it two days in advance, and I'm not sure why I agreed to do that. So I have a turkey breast. I'm going to season it. I'm going to roast it. And I also have to pickle tomatoes. This frickin bozo! Turkey going in.
Declan: That's a beautiful turkey breast!
Molly: Yeah! Thank you so much.
Declan: Who made that? (laughing)
Molly: Not you, apparently.
Declan: (laughing) Love having a sous chef.
Molly: Um, okay. (laughing) And this, I cooked this turkey at 325. This, I rubbed it in like a salt, sugar, spice mixture. I roasted at 325 for like an hour and a half until it hit 150 in the middle. Let's try it. It looks pretty juicy.
Declan: Ooh, it's juicing as you cut it. I love that. Mmm.
Molly: It's honestly so good.
Declan: It's brilliant.
Molly: It's so turkey-y. It's way more turkey-y than any deli turkey. For the chimichurri mayo, I'm thinking it's like, somewhere, a cross between a chimichurri and a salsa verde. I really want to put capers in it. Scallions, jalapenos, cilantro and parsley. And then like, lime juice and mayonnaise. (loud wet sputtering sound) Sign of a good mayo splooge. (laughing) (chopping sounds) I'll microplane some garlic into this mayonnaise.
Declan: Alright, I need a bowl.
Molly: We can also put a little lime juice on the avocado and season the avocado.
Declan: Okay, let me get these little gems ready.
Molly: Yeah. Just wash them. Great, ribby. Really nice and ribby. Ooh, salt and vinegar chips! Are we ready to assemble?
Declan: I think we're almost there. The focaccia...here it is.
Molly: Yeah. I'm going to get a plate. Okay, this guy down. Let's go generoso with that mayo. Do you want you to do tomato down now?
Declan: Yeah, I think pickled tomato down at the bottom.
Molly: Yup. And this is just an underripe tomato that I've pickled in sherry vinegar, sugar, and salt. How much turkey do you want?
Declan: I think that's great. Just cover the, cover the sandwich, but it doesn't need to be like a massive stack.
Molly: Yeah. And then avo on top, and I'm going to crunch these chips, like, onto it a little bit. (chip crushing sounds) This is a monster of a sando.
Declan: A little little gem.
Molly: Alright, here we go. (sound of both chewing and mmm-ing)
Declan: Tell me that avo's not supposed to be in there.
Molly: Everything's supposed to be in there. It's a really juicy, succulent sandwich.
Declan: It is, which is not what you think of when you think of turkey.
Molly: No. Which means we've done our job.
Declan: Which means we've done exactly what we needed to do.
Molly: And you should all make this sandwich. Okay. I mean, consider that a massive success.
Declan: (laughing)
Molly: Alright, well, I think our job here is done. So we'll see you guys next time on The Sandwich Universe. Thanks again to the Food52 podcast network for making all of our podcast dreams come true, and Cabot Creamery for sponsoring this podcast, and to Coral Lee who produces it. And Jeffrey Brodsky who designed the theme music.
Declan: Happy eating everyone!
Molly: We'll see you next week.
(musical outro)