Lokma Chicken Sandwich

Back in May, Ted’s mom and I took a Friday off and went to San Francisco to see the Monet exhibit. I had seen it back in March, with Ted and Maya, but wanted to see it one more time before it left. It turns out that my MIL had been to Monet’s gardens once with Ted’s brother, several years ago, and she also loves Monet. Who knew? I love finding common cause. It’s especially nice to find out that you have more in common with someone you love than you thought. So, we went to the City and looked at beautiful art, then perused the gift shop, drove out to the ocean to look at that and smell the salt air for a bit, and then went off in search of a place for lunch. I lived in San Francisco, and I knew of many wonderful places, but that was many many years ago. I don’t know much anymore. So we found ourselves driving down Clement Street, a street that is known for having lots of places to eat. We passed a place that looked like it might be good…crowded enough on a Friday afternoon to mean it was probably good, but not so crowded that we couldn’t get in. And miracles being what they are, we found parking only 1/2 block away.  The restaurant was Lokma.

I liked the look of the Lokma Chicken Sandwich, which the menu listed as being:  Toasted ciabatta bun, grilled chicken thigh, tomato butter, cacik (yogurt sauce), arugula, pickled onions & crispy potatoes. So I ordered it, along with a delicious glass of Greek wine, and it was an excellent choice. Good enough that I have now tried to make it at home. Know what? It works. I tried taking a picture both times, and both times, my pictures did not look like anything you would want to eat, so instead I found a picture on Yelp that some reviewer took at the restaurant, and I stole it, above.

In the interest of passing on this delicious meal, in case you might also love a good chicken sandwich from time to time, here is my version. Amounts are based on how many sandwiches you want to make.

Lokma Chicken Sandwich

Ingredients

• Chicken thighs, boneless skinless type
• Ciabatta buns (or brioche if that is what you prefer, which is what I did)
• Tomato butter (recipe below)
• Cacik (or Tzatziki, which is what I did – store bought)
• Pickled onions (recipe below)
• Arugula

Sprinkle chicken thighs with salt and pepper, and grill or sauté or whatever. I grilled them outside. Spread buns with a little bit of butter and toast on the grill while the chicken rests. Spread one side of bun with tomato butter, and the other with tzatziki, and add a chicken thigh, pickled onions, and arugula. I served mine with green salad. The restaurant served theirs with potatoes. You could do fries or chips or fruit salad or slaw, whatever floats your boat.

Tomato Butter

Ingredients

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 8 oz unsalted butter
• 1 tblsp of fresh thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• Dried chili flakes, optional

Preheat oven broiler to high and place the tomatoes on a foil lined baking sheet. Broil the tomatoes until the skins blister and begin to brown, shaking the pan to brown all sides, about 6 to 7 minutes. Cool the tomatoes to room temperature. Place the tomatoes, butter, thyme, salt, pepper, chili flakes, and garlic clove in a food processor and pulse until blended, but not completely smooth. Place the butter into a small dish and cover until needed. Recipe found here.

Pickled Onions

Ingredients

• 1 small red onion
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 4 teaspoons kosher salt

Slice onion about 1/4 inch thick and place in a small bowl.  Bring vinegar, sugar, and salt to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar and salt.  Pour over onion and let stand 20 minutes (or more).  Drain.  Recipe found here, which by the way is a delicious salad when nectarines or peaches are in season, like right now.