Chicken Caesar Ftira

Name: Chicken Caesar Ftira
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Yield: 2 people
Cuisine: Maltese
Ingredients: 2 ready-baked ftira rolls (about 350-400g total); 300g boneless, skinless chicken breast; 1 tsp olive oil, for cooking; Salt and black pepper to taste; 4 lettuce leaves, washed, dried and shredded; 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced; 40g Parmesan or other hard cheese, shaved or coarsely grated; 3 tbsp prepared Caesar dressing

Make a chicken Caesar ftira with pan-cooked chicken, cheese, lettuce, onion and creamy dressing. A warm sandwich lunch for two.

Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 15 minutes Servings: 2 people

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Watercolour illustration of a chicken Caesar ftira with sliced chicken, lettuce, cheese and creamy dressing.

Ingredients

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Measures: 1 tbsp = 15ml; 1 tsp = 5ml. For local ingredient names and substitutions, see our guide to Maltese ingredients abroad.

2 ready-baked ftira rolls (about 350-400g total)
300g boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 tsp olive oil, for cooking
Salt and black pepper to taste
4 lettuce leaves, washed, dried and shredded
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
40g Parmesan or other hard cheese, shaved or coarsely grated
3 tbsp prepared Caesar dressing

Instructions

Prepare the chicken: Cut the breast horizontally into thinner pieces of an even thickness, about 1.5cm. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Keep raw chicken and its utensils separate from the bread and salad.
Cook through: Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook the chicken for about 5-7 minutes on each side, adjusting for thickness, until browned and cooked through. Check with a clean food thermometer: the thickest part should reach 75°C for 30 seconds. Without a thermometer, cut into the thickest part and check it is steaming hot with no pink meat and clear juices. Rest on a clean plate for a couple of minutes, then slice across the grain.
Prepare the bread and salad: Split the ftira horizontally. Spread half the Caesar dressing over the cut surfaces. Toss the dried lettuce and sliced onion with the remaining dressing.
Fill and serve: Divide the chicken between the rolls and add the cheese. Finish with the dressed salad, close the bread and serve immediately while the chicken is warm and the lettuce is crisp.

Chicken Caesar is a sandwich filling built around warm chicken and cool, crunchy lettuce. Crusty ftira gives it a sturdy shell, while a modest amount of dressing coats the filling without flooding the crumb. This is a contemporary filling option rather than the tomato-and-oil combination used for biż-żejt.

Ingredient Substitutions Outside Malta

A crusty sourdough roll or ciabatta works well. Parmesan gives a sharper flavour; sliced mild cheese makes a softer filling. Choose a prepared Caesar dressing you enjoy and check its ingredients if avoiding anchovies or egg.

For a shortcut, use about 220g ready-cooked chicken instead of raw breast. Slice it and assemble a cold sandwich, following the chicken’s storage instructions. The cooking time shown above is for starting with raw chicken.

Serving Suggestions

Serve straight away with tomato wedges or cucumber. For a different dressing, use garlic mayonnaise or a little BBQ sauce; the result will have its own flavour rather than a Caesar filling.

Notes & Tips

Thin, evenly sized chicken pieces cook more predictably and are easier to bite through.
Wash and dry the lettuce before handling raw chicken, and use clean utensils for the cooked meat.
Dress the salad just before assembling to keep it crisp.
Keep leftover cooked chicken refrigerated and add the dressing when making the next sandwich.

Explore the other options in the ftira guide and filling planner.