Charming, refined, luxurious: quite simply, Ladurée is where tea becomes art. What I love most about this French pâtisserie is their traditional yet whimsical aesthetic–almost every morsel and teacup that goes by looks like it’s been touched by the iconic bread-baking cherub himself. I’ve tried many of Ladurée’s teas, but Roi Soleil is by far one of my favorites. This Chinese green tea blend is pure and radiant, like an ethereal ray of sunshine. Although it has the essence of bergamot, it doesn’t quite taste like an Earl Grey–it’s lighter, crisper, and brighter. There are vanilla-like creamy notes to this blend, with underlying caramel and rhubarb aromas and lemon peel and marigold petals thrown in. It’s a soft and cheerful cup, the obvious solution to any melancholy day.Roi Soleil is perfect on its own, but that much more delicious when paired with a few bites of the familiar club sandwich, this time made Ladurée style (a.k.a. Club Ladurée). The tea’s vegetal green tea base makes it a tasty compliment to lightly dressed salads or other eats that are simple and straight-forward in flavor, like Pont Neuf Potatoes.
If you’re lucky and in the vicinity, it’s a good idea to make a trip over to your corner Ladurée Boutique to enjoy this beautiful sandwich. For the rest of us, including a California gal like myself, a taste of the real deal requires us to get a bit more creative. With a lonely cup of Roi Soleil and copy of Ladurée: Savory in my cookbook collection, it was time to get to work.
I’m not going to lie, it requires a fair amount of effort and care to assemble these sandwiches. The fact that these are Ladurée-inspired ups the ante and makes it that much more important for one to pay attention to details. In particular, you’ll want to be careful about slicing, trimming, and cutting everything to look pretty and layer evenly. Sharp knives (like my favorite French Opinel kitchen knives) are a must!If you’re wanting to enjoy these on-the-go or for a picnic, try wrapping them in small pieces of parchment paper. You can loosely seal the individual sandwiches with some baker’s twine or even some gold stickers to finish. Whatever you do, don’t forget to bring along plenty of Roi Soleil to enjoy! Make the tea just as perfectly portable by brewing the tea cold and straining it into swing top or glass milk bottles to preserve its fresh and exquisite taste.
In the US outside of New York and wanting to try Ladurée’s Roi Soleil? Call their stores in NYC directly. A very special thanks to Jason Noda of Celine Kaplan PR for sharing this elegant and delicious sip with me!
The Ladurée Club Sandwich
Makes 4- 2″x 4″sandwiches.
Ingredients:
{Sandwich}
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, & patted dry
3 hard boiled eggs, shells removed & sliced thin
2 pieces bacon, halved, cooked until crisp, & drained
2 tomatoes, ripe, firm, seeded, & sliced thin
a few leaves of Bibb or artisan lettuce, washed and dried well, tough ribs removed, & ripped into small pieces
4 slices white bread, 4″x 4″, thinly sliced, & lightly toasted
mustard, mayo, or homemade mayo
salt and pepper, to taste
{Pont Neuf Potatoes}– to serve, optional
Equipment:
large skillet
large plate
sharp knife
cutting board
serrated knife
toothpicks
Directions:
1. Cook the chicken breasts by searing them in a skillet coated with 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side until cooked through, then set aside onto a large plate to cool. After the chicken has cooled to room temperature, slice it into pieces about 1/4″ thick.
2. On a large cutting board, lay down the 4 slices of toasted bread and generously spread them with mustard, mayo, or homemade mayo. Lay the lettuce down for the first sandwich layer, then top with sliced egg, tomato, and chicken. Place another slice of toasted bread (mustard or mayo covered side down) on top of the ingredients. Repeat this process twice to make 2 square sandwiches. Use a serrated knife to cut off the crusts off of each of these sandwiches, then cut each sandwich in half to make 4 finished sandwiches.
3. Use a toothpick to pierce the center of a slice of bacon, then pierce the same toothpick through the center of a sandwich. Repeat this for all 4 sandwiches.
4. Serve Ladurée Club Sandwiches with a lightly dressed salad, chips or Pont Neuf Potatoes, and plenty of hot or iced Ladurée Roi Soleil tea. Enjoy!
Adapted from Club Ladurée recipe from Ladurée: Savory.