# How Mama's Too Makes NYC's Most-Hyped Chicken Cutlet Sandwich — Most-Ordered

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNApLK-DNEE
Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/VNApLK-DNEE
Generated: 2026-01-18T16:05:21.217+00:00

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## Quick Overview

Mama's Too creates its most-ordered Chicken Alka sandwich using four key components: juicy fried chicken cutlets, vodka sauce, pesto, and housemade semolina bread, with the owner emphasizing the perfect balance of robust flavors achieved through meticulous, house-made preparations for each element.

**Key Points:**
- The Chicken Alka sandwich features four main components: juicy fried chicken cutlets, vodka sauce, pesto, and housemade semolina bread, creating a "perfect balance of all kind of different robust flavors."
- The owner, Frank Deondundo, notes that while his food is popular on social media, he prefers customers return because they crave it, stating, "I don't love to call any of our food viral because this is something that people get once and they come back for and they crave."
- For the chicken batter, the owner prioritizes using "really cold sparkling water that's got a lot of gas and bubbles" instead of a traditional egg wash, and the breading uses dried, grated house bread mixed with specific spices like oregano, parsley, salt, and pepper.
- The vodka sauce preparation involves roasting shallots and garlic for the sofrito base, boiling peeled tomatoes, and adding heavy cream for texture, notably omitting any alcohol (vodka or cooking wine) as the owner does not believe it contributes flavor.
- The bread-making process involves mixing flour, water, yeast, and salt (key for strengthening gluten), finishing with olive oil, and shaping loaves with sesame seeds before scoring for proper oven spring.
- The sandwich assembly order prioritizes layering: first, vodka sauce is liberally ladled over the bread to permeate to the bottom, followed by spread 'bara' (a cold cheese effect), and finally, the pesto is applied generously over the top.
- The owner describes breading chicken as therapeutic and notes he developed his recipe by taking elements he loved from his mother's cooking and improving upon them.

**Context:** Frank Deondundo, the proprietor of Mama's Too in the West Village, presents a detailed tutorial on constructing their highly popular and most-ordered sandwich, the Chicken Alka. He positions himself as a "chicken cutlet connoisseur" aiming to perfect the classic sandwich by making every core component—the bread, chicken cutlet, vodka sauce, and pesto—in-house to achieve a superior flavor profile.

## Detailed Analysis

The video details the entire process behind Mama's Too's celebrated Chicken Alka sandwich, which the owner believes achieves a perfect flavor balance through its four components: crispy fried chicken cutlets, vodka sauce, pesto, and housemade semolina bread. The bread-making process starts with mixing flour and water (the speaker must leave due to a severe flour allergy), followed by yeast and salt to strengthen gluten, ending with olive oil, and shaping loaves which are then baked to achieve a golden color and good oven spring. The chicken cutlet preparation involves a batter made with cold, bubbly sparkling water rather than egg wash; the breading is crucial, using dried, grated house bread mixed with specific spices. For the vodka sauce, they roast a sofrito base of shallots and garlic, use milled tomatoes, add heavy cream for velvetiness, and intentionally omit alcohol. The pesto is made with basil, shallots, garlic, Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, and olive oil. The final assembly is crucial: vodka sauce is applied liberally to soak the bread, followed by spread 'bara' cheese to provide a cold contrast to the hot cutlet and sauce, and finally, pesto is dotted over the top, ensuring each ingredient shines.

### Chicken Alka Composition

- Juicy fried chicken cutlets
- Vodka sauce
- Pesto
- Housemade semolina bread
- Aims for perfect balance of robust flavors

### Housemade Semolina Bread Process

- Mix water and flour, then add yeast and salt to strengthen gluten
- Finish with olive oil and shape loaves
- Score loaves for oven spring and sesame seed topping

### Chicken Cutlet Preparation

- Use cold sparkling water instead of egg wash for the batter
- Breading utilizes dried, grated house bread mixed with spices like oregano and parsley
- Breading must set in the refrigerator for three hours before frying

### Vodka Sauce Recipe Details

- Start with a sofrito base of roasted shallots and garlic
- Add milled tomatoes and heavy cream for texture
- The sauce contains no actual alcohol, as the flavor contribution is deemed unnecessary

### Pesto Creation

- Blend basil, shallots, garlic, Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, and olive oil slowly
- Achieve the desired texture and consistency through blending

### Sandwich Assembly Order

- Vodka sauce is ladled liberally over the bread to soak through
- Next, spread 'bara' cheese is added for a cold contrast
- Finally, pesto is dotted over the top (two 'M's per half, referencing Mama's Too)