Tselani
It’s 9:07 PM and I’ve just returned from teaching a class at Sur La Table. The evening has descended, but the temperatures are still smoldering. Because I usually don’t eat what we make in class (yes, I do taste it), I’m famished. Pulling open the refrigerator door, I collect the ingredients for a BLT. But this is no ordinary BLT.
A couple weeks ago, I taught a brunch class where one of the menu items was a breakfast BLT. Ever since taking that first heavenly bite, I’ve been on a bit of a BLT craze.
So here’s my recipe for a perfect BLT. But be warned. Check your refrigerator to make sure you have all the ingredients first. You’ll be craving one too.
The Perfect BLT
Serves 1
Begin by heating a small skillet over medium heat. Add two slices of artesian, uncured bacon. You know the kind – the kind that costs $10 for 6 slices. Trust me though. It will be worth it. As the bacon sizzles away and laces the air with a smoky perfume, cut two slices of eggy challah bread about ½ inch thick. Don’t think that the spongy white bread will do. And don’t be tempted by that nicely rounded sourdough loaf either. Its crust is too chewy and hard. You want something with a soft crumb that yields gently in your mouth when you bite through all the layers. Lay the bread slices side by side and slather generously with mayonnaise. Yes, it must be Best Foods. Don’t even think of using Miracle Whip. You’re creating art here, not trying to mask all the delicate flavors. Cover each slice of bread with a thin layer of baby arugula. Leave the stems on if you wish. Using your extra sharp knife, slice gently through a perfectly ripe heirloom tomato. Try the ones with the blushing red and golden yellow flesh. Your knife must be sharp to cut cleanly through the delicate skin so you don’t loose any juice on the cutting board. Place one tomato slice on each bread slice and sprinkle each tomato with a touch of Maldon salt from England. Skip the table or Kosher – it’s just too astringent for this application. Don’t forget to flip your bacon over and don’t let it get too brown or crispy. If it’s too crunchy, it distracts from the other textures and will make your BLT feel off balance. Trust me on this one. Grab a ripe but not too ripe avocado. It should give just ever so slightly when you press on its skin. Cut a quarter from the avocado, peel back the soft black skin, and slice it into slivers. Gently lie the slivers on top of one tomato. Just one, not both. Now drain your bacon on a double layer of paper towels and blot up any extra fat. Place the bacon on top of the second tomato. Using both hands, fold the BLT (or should I say BAT?) together, taking care that no ingredients fall out.
Open the refrigerator and pull out a bottle of Odwala Summertime Limeade. Take your sandwich and limeade out on your porch. Embrace the sweltering night. Be careful of the spider webs that become invisible in the dark. Sit down on the porch steps. Grab your sandwich with both hands. Careful now. It’s not a tube of toothpaste, so no need to squeeze too hard. Take a bite. Close your eyes and marvel at the flavors. Taste the hot, smoky bacon with the acidity of the tomato, the cool smoothness of the avocado, and the tiny sharp bite of the arugula. Feel how your teeth just sink through the soft bread giving way to the layers underneath. Don’t worry about the tomato juice/bacon fat/mayonnaise combination making its way down your arm. That’s normal. Don’t let go of your sandwich after the first bite. Just keep holding on and savoring all the flavors. Look out into the night and marvel at the moment. Admire the moon sitting like a giant grapefruit on the horizon. Once you’ve finished the last heavenly bite, wash it down with a few swings of limeade.
Yes I know eating after 8:00 PM isn’t good for you. Yes, I realize you’ve probably just consumed your daily allotment of fat and calories in just one sitting. But compared to the perfect experience you just had, all that is just trivial isn’t it? Congratulations. You’ve just enjoyed the perfect BLT. Repeat as needed.
A couple weeks ago, I taught a brunch class where one of the menu items was a breakfast BLT. Ever since taking that first heavenly bite, I’ve been on a bit of a BLT craze.
So here’s my recipe for a perfect BLT. But be warned. Check your refrigerator to make sure you have all the ingredients first. You’ll be craving one too.
The Perfect BLT
Serves 1
Begin by heating a small skillet over medium heat. Add two slices of artesian, uncured bacon. You know the kind – the kind that costs $10 for 6 slices. Trust me though. It will be worth it. As the bacon sizzles away and laces the air with a smoky perfume, cut two slices of eggy challah bread about ½ inch thick. Don’t think that the spongy white bread will do. And don’t be tempted by that nicely rounded sourdough loaf either. Its crust is too chewy and hard. You want something with a soft crumb that yields gently in your mouth when you bite through all the layers. Lay the bread slices side by side and slather generously with mayonnaise. Yes, it must be Best Foods. Don’t even think of using Miracle Whip. You’re creating art here, not trying to mask all the delicate flavors. Cover each slice of bread with a thin layer of baby arugula. Leave the stems on if you wish. Using your extra sharp knife, slice gently through a perfectly ripe heirloom tomato. Try the ones with the blushing red and golden yellow flesh. Your knife must be sharp to cut cleanly through the delicate skin so you don’t loose any juice on the cutting board. Place one tomato slice on each bread slice and sprinkle each tomato with a touch of Maldon salt from England. Skip the table or Kosher – it’s just too astringent for this application. Don’t forget to flip your bacon over and don’t let it get too brown or crispy. If it’s too crunchy, it distracts from the other textures and will make your BLT feel off balance. Trust me on this one. Grab a ripe but not too ripe avocado. It should give just ever so slightly when you press on its skin. Cut a quarter from the avocado, peel back the soft black skin, and slice it into slivers. Gently lie the slivers on top of one tomato. Just one, not both. Now drain your bacon on a double layer of paper towels and blot up any extra fat. Place the bacon on top of the second tomato. Using both hands, fold the BLT (or should I say BAT?) together, taking care that no ingredients fall out.
Open the refrigerator and pull out a bottle of Odwala Summertime Limeade. Take your sandwich and limeade out on your porch. Embrace the sweltering night. Be careful of the spider webs that become invisible in the dark. Sit down on the porch steps. Grab your sandwich with both hands. Careful now. It’s not a tube of toothpaste, so no need to squeeze too hard. Take a bite. Close your eyes and marvel at the flavors. Taste the hot, smoky bacon with the acidity of the tomato, the cool smoothness of the avocado, and the tiny sharp bite of the arugula. Feel how your teeth just sink through the soft bread giving way to the layers underneath. Don’t worry about the tomato juice/bacon fat/mayonnaise combination making its way down your arm. That’s normal. Don’t let go of your sandwich after the first bite. Just keep holding on and savoring all the flavors. Look out into the night and marvel at the moment. Admire the moon sitting like a giant grapefruit on the horizon. Once you’ve finished the last heavenly bite, wash it down with a few swings of limeade.
Yes I know eating after 8:00 PM isn’t good for you. Yes, I realize you’ve probably just consumed your daily allotment of fat and calories in just one sitting. But compared to the perfect experience you just had, all that is just trivial isn’t it? Congratulations. You’ve just enjoyed the perfect BLT. Repeat as needed.
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Shannon