The Knishwich

Flannery O'Connor wrote that a good man is hard to find. In this day and age, I have a tendency to doubt that claim, but what I do know is that a good sandwich is hard to find. Pretty difficult, in fact. So on the whole, I tend to enjoy creating my own 'wiches rather than taking a chance on a sandwich that could taste worse and cost more.

Today's sandwich is simple and flirts with pan-grilling rather than using a panini machine. I found that I much preferred the results and that the sandwich developed a knish like crust, hence the name. It's an easy sandwich and a delicious one. In conclusion, Sharkies.Knishwich
Ingredients (serves 2)
2 bulkie rolls, cut in half
4 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp spicy brown mustard
2 slices of cheese (we used Kerry Dubliner)
8 slices deli-roasted chicken, cut in half to fit on the roll
4 tbsp leftover hash browns or roasted chunks of potato
2 tbsp olive oil

1. Thickly spread the mayonnaise on both halves of the roll, and the mustard on the top half of the roll. Put your cheese on the bottom half and pile the chicken on top. Put the hash browns on top of the mustard half and assemble the sandwiches. Put a heavy pot or foil-topped brick on top of both sandwiches and gently mash down.
2. While the sandwiches are pressing, heat up one tablespoon of your olive oil and put the top half down into the pan, adding your heavy object on top to press it down. I used a cast iron skillet to press because it provided even pressure on all sides. When the cheese is melting and the crust is hard and bubbled on top, flip and repeat until both sandwiches are done.
3. Cut in half and serve!It's tooth-crackingly crispy and perfectly done. I definitely prefer the overall crust from the olive oil, which definitely created a more knish-like effect, than that of the scattered panini grill marks. Our cat was ambivalent to the entire experience.