Sandwich Party

Another beautiful weekend and I thought it a good idea to host a lunch party. Whoops - at least the guests got to enjoy the day after they left, where I was mostly left in a food coma and drained from all the prep. The sandwich menu I prepared was enjoyed by all, so those are the recipes you shall get. Three options were suggested: a BLAT, the Brekkie, and the Veggie. They went something like this.

BLAT: Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado, Tomato, Mayo (sprouts added by eater). The keys to this are to use a small amount of bacon, crisped - the goal is for each bite to contain a bite of bacon, a bite of lettuce (crunchy and flavorful, like butter lettuce, frisee, or some other fancy liberal leaf), and a bite through a tomato slice. It is easiest if you mash the avocado in its skin and spread that on.

Brekkie: Fried egg, coarse ground mustard, sliced apple, cheese. Think a grilled cheese, but after grilling you open it up, add the mustard, and throw in a runny fried egg and a thin layer of apple slices. Messy as hell, but delicious. I didn't have time to grill sandwiches, so I simply toasted them with cheese before finishing the assembly. If making at home, do it properly.

Veggie: Tofu, lettuce, tomato, avocado, kimchi. Two keys for this one: pungent, spicy kimchi as it provides the only strong flavor, and a properly crusted tofu. I can't help you with the first one, but the second I can. You can give tofu a nice skin without deep frying it assuming you possess spare time. Slice your tofu thinly and very cleanly - if the large faces are uneven, they won't generate a good skin. Put the tofu between some paper towel and squeeze a bit; rub with salt and let sit in paper towel for a bit to really make sure the moisture is gone.

Heat some oil in a pan over medium-low and place the tofu in. Cook for ~15 minutes - from the side, you should be able to see a skin forming. Brush the tops with oil, flip, and cook for another 15. You can increase the heat but you risk burning it (though the skin develops quicker and browner). If you have a cast iron, this works even better in it.