Le sandwich brunch(1)

Well it is Sunday morning and I have to go Phitsanulok where I shall look mournfully at what passes for food in Tesco and Big C, and dream of this….

This is so obvious as to be banal…but my friend said it was the best sandwich he had ever eaten..ooh such flattery will not get you a decent bottle of Pinot Noir, tonight, nor tomorrow! And where do you ever see such simple things written down?

For two

2 Ciabatta Rolls..though four slices of decent wholegrain bread will do..
2 Free Range Eggs
4 rashers organic Streaky Bacon
2 Organic Tomatoes
Unsalted Butter
Tablespoon Mayonnaise, preferably home made…!
Tablespoon Tomato Sauce or Salsa
2 Cornichons
Sea Salt
Ground Black Pepper
Olive Oil

Fry the bacon rashers in Olive Oil until crispy. Reserve to a plate and keep warm with all what follows.
In the same Oil fry the Tomatoes until tender. Remove and reserve
Clean the pan and add some more Olive Oil. Heat until very hot. Add the first Egg, cook quickly on one side and then flip over, cook further..the Egg must not set. Remove, reserve and repeat for the second Egg. Reserve.

Cut the Ciabatta Rolls in half. Toast. Butter both sides of the inside. Spread the lower half with the Mayonnaise and Tomato Sauce or Salsa.
Finely chop the cornichons and sprinkle over.
Finely chop the Bacon and distribute between the two rolls, similarly add the cooked Tomato.
Sprinkle lightly with Sea Salt, ground or not to your taste, and freshly ground Black Pepper

Place an Egg in each Roll. Close the Rolls and Serve

(If you do not chop the bacon it will come out in unpleasant strings when you bite into the roll. You will already be having to deal with runny Egg yolk!)

I find this more satisfying than Oeufs Benedictine; though I would never sniff at that dish properly prepared. You could, of course, if you had time and ability, substitute Sauce Hollandaise for the Mayonnaise. You could also exchange HP Sauce or your own home-made good Salsa for the Tomato Sauce.It is good with Jambon de Bayonne or Jambon Serrano-any wind dried ham rather than the bacon, again finely chopped so you don’t have stringy mouthfuls. I am partial to substituting Jalapeno Peppers, finely chopped, for the cornichons, or in addition. Like all simple and great dishes it bends to your taste and the ingredients to hand. But no wet lettuce leaves, which most hotels and restaurants seem unable to resist...

If you are nifty you will already have been preparing some Pommes Sautees, ie last night’s potatoes fried in Oil and Butter…but never mind. A few slices of Black Pudding add variety as a side order!. A large glass of Freshly Squeezed Tangerine Juice is a bonus..given where I am… and a large simple sweet black Coffee! I would not refuse a large jug of Bloody Mary either. Plenty of Ice and Tabasco. Black Pepper and Lemon Juice…Perhaps a small dish of Papaya/Mango/Watermelon, to finish, too.
I cannot abide boxed juice, which is made usually from fruit concentrate and neither Cappucino nor Café Latte. With a dish such as this you do not need milk.