Crispy Baguette with Tender Pulled Meat and Roasted Tomato Mayo
·Roast the meat the day before
Roast the meat a day ahead. Feel free to cook two or three thighs at once. This time, roast them with garlic and cherry tomatoes, seasoned to taste. Roast for about 6–8 hours at 90–100°C.
Tip:
How long you need to roast the meat depends on the size of the thighs you got. The meat needs to be completely falling apart. I always shred it with a fork right into the roasting juices, which soak into the meat beautifully. Yum!
Crispy baguettes
Cut the baguettes in half lengthwise and then crosswise. Pop them into an oven preheated to 200°C, just for a couple of minutes, so they turn lightly crispy. For these recipes I use French baguettes, which can be a day or two old — I toast them until crispy anyway…
Mayo dip
Blend the roasted cherry tomatoes and garlic from the roasting pan with an immersion blender, ideally in the container that comes with it. Add the mayonnaise and a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Blend until smooth.
Salad
Wash the lettuce leaves and place them in a bowl. Drizzle lightly with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and add a splash of creamy balsamic. Toss well. Make plenty of salad, enough not just for the baguette but for a side on the plate too.
Layering
Spread the crispy baguettes with the tomato mayo, then layer on the meat, cheese, the salad (tossed earlier with olive oil and balsamic), and fresh cherry tomatoes sliced into rounds, in whatever order you like.
Serving
Top with the other half of the baguette, also spread with tomato mayo. Serve with the dressed lettuce salad and sliced fresh cherry tomatoes on the side. If you have leftover tomato mayo, use it as a salad dressing.