The theory of everything (sandwiches)
+ two sandwich fillings to keep in the fridge this week
No offence, but I find sandwich recipes pointless. Who needs a recipe for making a sandwich? It’s like looking up a manual before taking a shower, or seeking assistance for changing a lightbulb. Anyone can make a sandwich, no?
Well… not really.
I order a club sandwich everywhere I travel. I scan room service menus and always land on the same thing. And yet, it never is the same thing. A club sandwich can be great: crisp bacon, fresh lettuce, thinly sliced sweet tomato, all held together by bread that is both toasty and soft at the same time, with just the right amount of mayonnaise to stave off dryness.
It can also be all wrong when one or more of these elements is misjudged, particularly the mayo (too much, too little, sometimes none at all!!!).
Rather than recipes, then, it’s more general rules that the world needs, a few principles of sandwich making to save us all from an off-kilter sandwich.
Max Halley, who’s got a great sandwich shop not far from my test kitchen in Crouch Hill, London, is someone I trust blindly in this department. According to Max, perfection in a sandwich is achieved by balancing six key elements: hot, cold, sweet, sour, crunchy and soft. Layering all these correctly will give you the right balance of flavour and texture in every single bite.
I agree with Max (it would be rude not to agree with someone serving the legendary ham hock, fried egg and shoestring chips sandwich). But I am not sure this rule applies to all sandwiches, whatever they might be.
What’s wrong with a modest British classic like an egg and cress sandwich? Or a simple mortadella and cheese? I can be happily satisfied with avocado, tomato, black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.
All those hotel club sandwiches have taught that there are only two key principles to follow: 1) sandwiches need contrast, and 2) they need to be built with intention.
Hot against cold, soft against hard, rich against sharp. The intentional building separates triumph from disaster - thinking about what goes where, choosing bread that can handle the job, and understanding which ingredients might turn your creation into a soggy mess.
And so I stand behind my initial assertion that there’s no need for sandwich recipes per se. If you abide by my two principles, you’re on the right track to success.
Today I've got two fillings with which to practice my rules. An egg salad with pistachio dukkah that cuts through richness with crunch and pickles. And roasted aubergine that turns jammy and sweet, brightened with vinegar and herbs (add some cheese for extra contrast, if you like). Both keep well in the fridge, ready to be stuffed into your bread of choice.
Roasted aubergine and onion salad
If you cook your aubergines right - high heat, generous oil, patience - they turn soft and sweet, with those crispy edges. This filling actually improves with time, making it perfect for the kind of week where you want good food without having to make decisions every single day.
It's brilliant stuffed into crusty rolls with some sharp cheese - a mature cheddar that can hold its own, or something like Comté.
Egg salad with pistachio dukkah
Everyone has strong opinions about egg salad. For this one, my test kitchen colleague Angelos reimagined his grandmother's approach - grating hard-boiled eggs over a bowl until they looked like pale yellow snow.
It seemed unnecessarily fussy at first - why not just chop them? - but grated eggs have this particular texture, silky but not uniform, each bite slightly different from the last. The pistachio dukkah brings the contrast my theory demands - crunch from nuts, warmth from spices. Good bread matters here: something sturdy enough to hold the silky filling without collapsing.
The dukkah recipe will yield more than you need for this egg salad, but just store it in a jar to have on hand for all your dukkah needs. Also feel free to get a shop-bought one, though the smell of the toasting spices filling the kitchen is worth the effort.
Makes enough filling for 4 generous sandwiches