“Japan’s konbini sandwiches have something of a legendary reputation,” says Brendan Liew. “Fluffy (not soggy!) bread, perfectly buttered or creamed, and filled with premium ingredients. No trip to Japan is complete without one. Especially the tamago – egg salad – sandwich, which can be rearranged by slipping Famichiki’s fried chicken cutlet or Lawson’s Karaage-Kun (aka chicken nuggets) within.
“One of the secrets lies in the balance of toppings and consideration given to texture. Sando are typically filled with soft ingredients that fit in
a mouthful, so they don’t drag all of the fillings out.”
Ingredients
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon Japanese mustard paste
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
½ teaspoon rice vinegar
¼ teaspoon salt
5 grinds of black pepper
2 thick slices of shokupan
Method
1. Bring a pot of water to the boil, carefully add the eggs, then boil the eggs for 9 minutes. Drain and cool in iced water, then peel and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the butter and mustard paste.
3. Cut two of the eggs in half, then scoop the yolks into a bowl. Add the mayonnaise, mashing the yolks until the mixture is smooth. Stir in the rice vinegar, salt and pepper.
4. Dice the egg whites from the sliced eggs and add to the yolks, mixing well.
5. Spread the butter mixture on the two slices of bread. Cut the remaining egg in half, then lay the egg halves side by side in the centre of one of the slices. Spoon the mayonnaise mixture over and spread evenly, leaving a 1cm border at the edge.
6. Place the other slice of bread on top, buttered side down, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap. You’ll be cutting the sandwich into three fingers, so use a marker to draw two vertical lines on the wrap where the halved eggs are, so you can later cut through to reveal the yolks.
7. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up.
8. Cutting through the plastic wrap, slice off the crusts, then slice along your marked lines to cut your sando into three fingers.
9. Remove the wrap and serve.
Konbini: Cult Recipes, Stories and Adventures from Japan’s Iconic Convenience Stores by Brendan Liew and Caryn Ng (Thames & Hudson, RRP $49.99) is out now and yours to purchase from great Victorian booksellers such as Readings, Hill of Content and Books for Cooks.