Ayam Merah Grilled Cheese Sandwich
a classic Raya dish, repurposed!
don’t we all LOVE our classic Hari Raya dishes? from complexed rendangs and spicy sambal goreng pengantins.. to a tangy & delicious ayam masak merah..
while they’re great treats to enjoy on occasion, the leftovers that you have to feed on during the subsequent days in Syawal (cause you prepared too much) can be a chore to eat.
well, here’s a dish that we made, repurposing Azfar’s Mom’s leftover Ayam Masak Merah! with a little fixing of crusty sourdough and melty cheese, that 2-day old Ayam Masak Merah from the ice cream container at the corner of the fridge turns into a GLORIOUS grilled cheese sandwich! we also incorporated the gravy into a tomato-cream soup which becomes the PURRFECT accompaniment!
Ayam Mesak Merah Grilled Cheese Sandwich
(serves 2)
4 slices bread (you can use sourdough, brioche, pullman low etc.)
4 tbsp butter
2 pieces leftover Ayam Masak Merah chicken
300g sliced cheese (eg. mozzarella, havarti, provolone, cheddar, emmental)
pickled shallots:
8 shallots, thinly sliced
1 cup cane vinegar (can substitute with white vinegar)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
tomato cream soup:
1 cup leftover Ayam Masak Merah gravy
400g canned crushed tomato
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried oregano (optional)
1 tsp dried basil (optional)
100 ml heavy cream salt and pepper, to taste
cabbage-apple slaw:
1/2 piece Beijing cabbage, thinly shredded
1/4 piece red cabbage, thinly shredded
2 green apples, cut into thin strips
4 tbsp roasted sesame dressing
preparing pickled shallots
To make the pickled shallots, combine vinegar, water, sugar and salt in a saucepan on medium heat. Bring to a rolling boil and then throw in the shallots. Let it boil for 30 seconds and then transfer to a jar. Let it sit for at least 1 hour before using.
assembling the sandwich
Shred the leftover chicken pieces. To assemble the sandwich, spread butter on one side of the bread & lay on 3 pieces of cheese followed by a portion of the shredded chicken with about a tablespoon of gravy. Arrange picked onions on top of the chicken, to your liking. Top with another few slices of cheese.
Butter another piece of bread and place the buttered side onto the cheese. Spread butter on the both sides of the sandwich.
Heat a pan on medium. Place the sandwich onto the pan. Once one side is fully browned and crispy, turn over and repeat the toasting.
tomato-cream soup
For the tomato soup, combine the leftover gravy with the crushed tomatoes in a pot. Bring to boil and then turn down to a simmer.
Add bay leaf, oregano and basil and stir well and cook for 20 minutes.
Drizzle in the cream, season and mix well. Serve hot.
cabbage-apple slaw
Toss the shredded cabbages and apple slices with roasted sesame dressing. Serve together with grilled cheese sandwich and soup.
wanna know how to make ayam masak merah? check this out!:
