Witchcraft craft a sandwich into a meal -- and a meal into a sandwich
Most of us have had the classic egg-and-bacon sandwich. When conceiving of our own, we were inspired by the French salad of frisee au lardons, in which the bacon lardons are rendered and warmed up, gorgonzola is used for the dressing, and the frisee is tossed into the mix, becoming warm and wilted. Here, we have essentially married the salad and the classic sandwich, and the resulting 'wich illustrates that, by just doing a little more, you can take a standard sandwich to a higher realm.
If you are preparing this recipe for a large number of people, you can fry the eggs and set them aside on parchment paper on a tray, popping them in the oven to heat them just a bit when you're ready to assemble the sandwiches. This sandwich would be great made with poached eggs, as well.
8 thick slices bacon
4 ciabatta rolls
4 tablespoons gorgonzola dolce or other mild blue cheese
2 cups frisee lettuce
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 large eggs, preferably pasture-raised
Preheat the oven to 350&deg;F.
In a heavy ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until golden brown and crisp on both sides. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Slice the ciabatta rolls in half. Evenly spread 1 tablespoon of the gorgonzola on each bottom slice of bread and place all the bread slices into the oven. While the bread is toasting, toss the frisee in the oil and vinegar, and add salt and pepper to taste.
In a medium-hot skillet, melt the butter and fry the eggs, two to four at a time (depending on the size of your skillet). Flip the eggs halfway through and cook until the yolks are solid around the edges and oozy in the middle. Season the eggs with salt and pepper. Once the bread is toasted and the cheese has melted, remove the bread from the oven. Place the eggs on top of the gorgonzola, followed by the bacon, and finally the dressed frisee. Close the sandwiches and been delayed.
Slice the ciabatta rolls in half and place one slice of Cheddar on each top and bottom slice of bread. Place the bread in the oven and remove once cheese is melted. Simultaneously, reheat the frittata in oven if made ahead of time.
Cut the frittata into four pieces and place one piece on each bottom slice of bread. Top with the roasted tomatoes. Close the sandwiches and serve.
sandwich architecture
An essay on architecture in a sandwich cookbook? Well, people commonly speak of "building a sandwich," and when we construct one, we do pay attention to its structure and design, usually without realizing it. The issue is worth thinking about when embarking on some serious sandwich making, as we hope you're about to do.
We first gave the matter of sandwich architecture some thought when we were considering the architecture and design of the space that would become our first 'wichcraft location, on East 19th Street in New York City. In working with our architect, we learned a lot about building materials and how they would affect the store. We learned to assess the relationships among aesthetics, functionality, and durability -- sometimes the hard way. For example, we loved the spareness of the store's design and were excited to carry that theme throughout the design components, including the wooden floor, which we decided to paint white. (You see where we're heading.)
Oh, it was going to be so beautiful, so starkly beautiful, so vivid and arresting. And it was -- the day before we opened. But within five minutes of our grand opening, we were horrified to see black scuff marks and city-street muck transferred to our floors from the bottoms of shoes. It was horrible. The floors looked extra dirty because they were white; there was no keeping them clean. (And in case you're wondering, black scuff marks don't come off a white floor.) Lesson learned: if white floors were so important we would have to paint them once a week (they weren't, and we didn't). Similarly, if you badly want a sandwich that will taste a particular way, but will be so sloppy and juicy that you can eat it only in private, hunched over your kitchen fontina with black trumpet mushrooms and truffle fondue
This delicate little indulgence makes a marvelous treat; cut up into little squares, it's perfect party fare. We were already considering creating a grilled cheese sandwich with fontina when one of our purveyors came to us with the white truffle fondue. Unlike many truffle oil products, this fondue is made with real truffles. We tried it &hellip; and loved it. It is the ideal complement to the mellow flavor of fontina and the fresh Pullman bread. We wanted to add some sauteed mushrooms, and chose the black trumpets for their low moisture content and springy texture. If you find them fresh -- which can be difficult, even in season -- rinse them well to get rid of all the grit.
2 ounces dried black trumpet mushrooms
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
16 slices fontina cheese
8 slices Pullman white bread
4 teaspoons white truffle fondue, or a light drizzle of truffle oil
Soak the dried mushrooms in lukewarm water for about 30 minutes, until fully reconstituted. Drain and with your hands, squeeze to remove as much water as possible. Transfer to a large plate or surface to air-dry. Heat the oil in a medium skillet until hot, add the mushrooms, and season with salt and pepper. Saute for about 2 minutes, then add the garlic and rosemary, and saute for another minute. Add the butter and stir until fully incorporated, making sure not to brown the butter too much. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Preheat a sandwich press according to the manufacturer's specifications (see Note).
Place 2 slices of fontina on each of 4 slices of bread and spread the truffle fondue evenly on top of the cheese (or drizzle lightly with truffle oil). Top with the mushrooms and the other 2 slices of fontina. Close the sandwiches and place in the sandwich press (no need to butter the press or the bread). Close the lid and apply slight pressure. Cook without disturbing for 5 to 8 minutes. Open the press and check for color and temperature: the cheese should be melted and the bread golden. If the bread is sticking to the press, allow it to cook for a bit longer and it will unstick itself. If the press seems to generate more heat on the bottom, flip the sandwich halfway through to ensure even cooking (making sure the ridges in the bread line up). Once cooked, remove, cut into halves, and serve.
NOTE If you don't have a sandwich press, you can grill the sandwiches in a hot skillet. Brush the outside of the sandwich with a little olive oil and place in the hot pan over medium-high heat. Press the sandwich by placing another heavy pan on top and reduce the heat to medium-low. When the bottom of the sandwich is golden and crusty, and the cheese has started to melt, flip the sandwich and grill on the other side.
black chile mayonnaise
MAKES ABOUT 11/2 CUPS
2 chipotle chiles
1 ancho chile
1 cup grapeseed oil
1 large egg yolk, preferably from a pasture-raised egg
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
Juice from 1 lime
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Place an oven or cooling rack on top of a gas burner. Make sure you're cooking in a well-ventilated area to avoid breathing in the fumes that will generate when charring the chiles (see Note). Place the chiles on the rack and char over an open flame. (You can also char the chiles in a cast-iron skillet over high heat.) Using tongs, turn the chiles as they char. The chiles will puff up and turn completely black. Remove from the heat and cool.
Discard the stems from all the chiles as well as the seeds from the ancho. Transfer the chiles to a blender or food processor and grind until fine. Place in a bowl and combine with the oil.
In a food processor, combine the egg yolk, garlic, lime juice, sugar, salt, and 2 tablespoons water, and quickly blend. With the food processor at medium to low speed, slowly add the chile oil in a thin and steady stream until fully incorporated. If some of the chile mix sticks to the side of the bowl, stop the blender and use a spatula to fully incorporate and blend together until smooth (see Note). Use immediately or store in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
NOTE Don't underestimate the need for proper ventilation. The fumes of the chiles can be extremely powerful.
If the mayonnaise starts looking thick at any point and sticks to the side of the machine, add just a drizzle of water until you have a desired consistency. Depending on the size and shape of your blender, you may need to use a spatula to scoop up all the ingredients and ensure that they get fully incorporated.
This recipe uses raw eggs, which should not be served to pregnant women, young children, the elderly, or anyone whose health is compromised. Pasteurized eggs may be substituted.
black olive mayonnaise
MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP
1 large egg yolk, preferably from a pasture-raised egg
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons pitted and chopped Nioise olives
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Place the egg yolk, mustard, garlic, olives, and vinegar in a food processor or blender. Start the blender and add 1 tablespoon water. With the blender running evenly at medium to low speed, slowly add the olive oil in a thin, even stream. Then add the grapeseed oil, season with the pepper, and blend until you have a smooth mayonnaise (see Note). Use immediately or store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
NOTE This recipe uses raw eggs, which should not be served to pregnant women, young children, the elderly, or anyone whose health is compromised. Pasteurized eggs may be substituted.
lemon mayonnaise
MAKES ABOUT 11/2 CUPS
1 large egg yolk, preferably from a pasture-raised egg
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
Pinch of cayenne pepper
4 teaspoons lemon juice
1 cup grapeseed oil
1/4 cup oil from Lemon Confit
extra-virgin olive oil plus grated
zest from 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Place the egg yolk, mustard, garlic, cayenne pepper, and the lemon juice in a food processor or blender. Add the lemon zest, if using. Start the blender and slowly start adding the grapeseed oil in a thin, even stream. When about half of the oil has been added, add 1 tablespoon water. Then slowly add the remaining grapeseed oil and blend until fully incorporated. If the mayonnaise looks a bit thick at this point, add a drizzle of water. Slowly add the lemon oil (or olive oil), season with the salt and pepper, and blend until you have a smooth mayonnaise (see Note). Use immediately or store in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
NOTE This recipe uses raw eggs, which should not be served to pregnant women, young children, the elderly, or anyone whose health is compromised. Pasteurized eggs may be substituted.
On the other hand, it is a much faster and more efficient technique as a near-optimum solution can be found in a fraction of the time required by the brute force approach. The genetic algorithm method is powerful enough to analyze hundreds of parameters within an acceptable timeframe, and the Genetic Optimizer settings add flexibility to this technique.