I was washing dishes and listening to my favorite Jewish podcast, “Unorthodox,” when I was stopped in my tracks by a sandwich. A trendy Israeli sandwich created only a few years ago in Tel Aviv that, rudely, no one had bothered to tell me about! The show’s cohost mentioned it in passing — “challah with schnitzel” — and that was enough to send me straight to the grocery store.
The “Shabbat Sandwich,” named after the Friday night Sabbath when Jews typically eat challah, is thick slices of squishy challah sandwiching crispy chicken schnitzel, fried eggplant, tahini, Israeli pickles and a mighty shmear of matbucha, a Moroccan tomato pepper relish. Preparing this sandwich is a bit of a project, but you can make a lot of the components a day or two in advance.
Be aware that some bakeries only sell challah on Fridays. Instead of slicing the bread, you can also serve it as one giant challah choagie cut up party style!
Notes:
- Israeli pickles are typically sold in cans in Middle Eastern markets or online. They are full-sour, far more puckery than a dill pickle, chartreuse and on the softer side of crisp.
- Matbucha is a slightly spicy Moroccan tomato-pepper relish often found snuggled up next to other cold salads, spreads and olives on Middle Eastern and North African tables, just waiting to be swiped up with fresh bread or pita. If matbucha sounds new to you, it might be more familiar than you think: it’s also the base for shakshuka! Leftovers can be warmed in a pan and thinned out with a little tomato puree or water before you crack a few eggs in to steam. The matbucha can be prepared a day or two before the Shabbat sandwiches, stored in a sealed container in the fridge.
Printed with permission from “Open Sesame: 45 Sweet & Savory Recipes for Tahini & All Things Sesame” by Rachel Belle. Published by Sasquatch Books. Photo by Charity Burggraaf.
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Challah Schnitzel Sandwich
My take on the “Shabbat sandwich” trend.
- Yield: 4 sandwiches
Ingredients
Units
For the challah schnitzel sandwich:
- neutral oil, for frying
- 1 large Japanese or Chinese eggplant, cut into 16-24 (¼-inch-) slices
- 1 tsp salt, divided, plus more to taste
- ¼–½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- 6 Tbsp untoasted sesame seeds
- 2 chicken breasts (1.5 lbs total)
- 1 loaf fresh challah, sliced into 8 (1-inch) slices from the widest part of the loaf (bonus points for sesame-crusted challah!)
- ½ cup matbucha (below)
- 4 Israeli pickles, sliced lengthwise into thirds (optional; see Notes)
- garlicky tahini sauce
For the matbucha:
- ½ red bell pepper
- ½ green bell pepper
- 1 small Anaheim chile
- 1 very small or ½ medium jalapeño, seeded
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 1 ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 cup (8 oz; about half a small can) crushed tomatoes
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Start by making the matbucha: Char the red and green bell peppers, Anaheim chile and jalapeño until their skins are completely black, either directly over a flame on a gas stove, on the direct flames of a grill, or on the top rack of your oven under the broiler.
- Transfer them to a paper bag (grocery bag works great) and roll down the top so they can steam inside for 15 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, peel the skin off the peppers and remove any remaining stems and seeds. Finely chop the peppers.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the garlic and paprika and sauté for about a minute, stirring frequently, until the garlic is fragrant but not crispy. Stir in the tomatoes, charred peppers and salt, and lower the heat to medium low. Let it simmer partially covered for 30-45 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes to make sure nothing sticks. It’s ready when it’s thick and jammy. Cover and set aside until room temp or cool. Keep tightly lidded in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To make the sandwich: Heat ¼ inch of neutral oil in a large pan over medium high. Fry the eggplant in a single layer until browned on both sides, 10-12 minutes total, and transfer to a cooling rack or a plate lined with a paper towel. Season with salt to taste. You may need to fry in batches. Turn off the heat and reserve the oil in the pan; you’ll use it for the chicken.
- Set up your workstation with three plates or shallow bowls. Mix ¼ cup of the flour and ¼ tsp of the salt in one plate, adding more flour later as needed. Beat 2 eggs with ¼ tsp salt in the second plate, and mix the panko, sesame seeds and ¼ tsp salt in the last plate.
- Place a chicken breast inside a large ziplock bag or between two sheets of plastic wrap, and pound with a mallet or rolling pin until it’s ½-inch thick. Repeat with the second chicken breast. They will be very large!
- Press both sides of the chicken into the flour mixture on the first plate, shaking off any excess, then dip both sides into the egg plate, letting the excess drip off. Finally, press it into the panko and sesame seeds plate, making sure it’s completely coated and sticking.
- Add more oil to the pan so it’s back at the ¼-inch mark, and heat to medium high.
When the oil is hot, add one chicken breast to the pan. Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side, until very golden brown and crispy, and transfer to a cooling rack. Sprinkle with salt to taste. Repeat with the second chicken breast, adding more oil and letting it heat up in between batches if needed. - Cut each chicken breast in half. Spread each of the four bottom bread slices with about 2 Tbsp of the matbucha. Top each slice with half of a chicken breast, 4-6 eggplant slices, several Israeli pickle slices and a healthy drizzle of tahini sauce. Top with the other slices of bread and eat immediately!
Notes
- Israeli pickles are typically sold in cans in Middle Eastern markets or online. They are full-sour, far more puckery than a dill pickle, chartreuse and on the softer side of crisp.
- Matbucha is a slightly spicy Moroccan tomato-pepper relish often found snuggled up next to other cold salads, spreads and olives on Middle Eastern and North African tables, just waiting to be swiped up with fresh bread or pita. If matbucha sounds new to you, it might be more familiar than you think: it’s also the base for shakshuka! Leftovers can be warmed in a pan and thinned out with a little tomato puree or water before you crack a few eggs in to steam. The matbucha can be prepared a day or two before the Shabbat sandwiches, stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to three days. Double the batch if you want enough leftovers to make shakshuka.
- Category: Main
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Israeli
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