Club Sandwiches with Smoked Turkey, Bacon, and Curried Apricot Mayo

Curried Apricot Mayo
1 cup good quality purchased mayonnaise, such as Hellman’s
3 tablespoons apricot preserves
1 teaspoon curry powder

1 large ciabatta bread about 12 inches long by 5 inches wide (See Cooking tip)
Boston or other soft lettuce leaves
8 ounces thinly sliced smoked or roasted turkey (See Cooking tip)
Freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt
2 to 3 medium tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
Scant 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions (just the white and light green parts)
5 bacon slices, fried until crisp and broken in half

1. For the Curried Apricot Mayo, whisk together mayonnaise, apricot preserves, and curry powder until well blended in a small bowl.(Mayo can be prepared 1 day ahead; cover and refrigerate.)

2, With a serrated knife held parallel to the work surface, halve the ciabatta horizontally. Using your fingers, pull out 1/2 to 3/4 inch of the bread in the top half, creating a cavity. (Save to make breadcrumbs or discard.) Spread each cut side generously with 1/2 cup of the apricot mayo. You may have some mayo left over depending on the size of your loaf.

3. Arrange enough lettuce leaves to cover the bottom ciabatta half. Top with overlapping slices of smoked or roasted turkey. Season with several grinds of black pepper. Make a layer of sliced tomatoes and season them lightly with salt and several grinds of black pepper. Sprinkle green onions over tomatoes. Top with halved bacon slices. Cover with top ciabatta half, and press down.

4. Arrange on a platter and using a serrated knife, cut (vertically) the club sandwich into 5 to 6 servings. If desired, use a skewer to secure each sandwich. Serves 5 to 6

Cooking tips: Buy a ciabatta that has a light, not heavy, crust for easy slicing. (Crusty artisan loaves do not work well because they are hard to slice into servings.)

Smoked or roasted turkey purchased at the deli counter of the grocery both work well.

Copyright Betty Rosbottom 2021