Ingredients

  • 3 boneless, skin-on chicken breast halves (about 1 1/2 pounds)
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 to 2 stalks celery
  • 1/2 bunch watercress
  • 1 baguette, 15 to 18 inches long
  • 1/4 cup hot sauce
  • 2 ounces creamy blue cheese, such as Saga blue
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise or sour cream

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle all over with the chili powder and some salt and pepper.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of the butter.
  • Lay the chicken skin-side down in the skillet and cook without moving it until the skin is golden and crispy, about 4 minutes.
  • Flip the chicken and cook until opaque, about 4 minutes more.
  • Transfer the chicken to a baking dish or roasting pan (reserve the skillet), and bake until firm to the touch, about 10 minutes; let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
  • While the chicken bakes, thinly slice the celery.
  • Trim and discard the tough stems from the watercress.
  • Rinse, dry and set aside the leaves.
  • Cut the baguette crosswise into 4 equal pieces; cut each piece in half horizontally for sub-style sandwiches.
  • Add 2 tablespoons butter to the reserved skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Once the butter stops foaming, toast half the bread pieces cut-side down, pressing and moving them to soak up all the butter, about 2 minutes.
  • Transfer to a platter and brush with half the hot sauce.
  • Repeat with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, bread and hot sauce.
  • Spread the blue cheese evenly on the bread bottoms.
  • Layer the celery over the cheese.
  • Thinly slice the chicken and place it on the celery.
  • Top with the watercress and finish by smearing the top pieces of bread with the mayonnaise.
  • Press the tops on the sandwiches and serve immediately.