I have always considered myself quite a nice person. I like food of all shapes, flavours and colours. From every country and continent. I don’t discriminate, I am an equal opportunity eater. It’s only the doctors who say I’m intolerant. And certain foods who refuse to tolerate me. They certainly refuse to recognise and respect my right to eat them without major physical discomfort and distress.


Gluten and lactose are not my friends.


Despite the negative attitudes surrounding me from many of those I love best, (cakes, ice cream, hot toast) I decided to become a chef. Not always easy when you live in a bread and milk filled world. I like to think that this has helped me become a better person as I embrace my differences and refuse to let the gluten get me down. I believe InTolerance. I am the InTolerant Chef.

Food should not be about what you can’t eat, but what you can and what you enjoy eating. This blog is about my journey of cooking and eating and discovery. It’s not a definitive guide to allergy awareness nor do my intolerances make me an expert. Your body is your responsibility, not mine. I only know what works for me.


I can tell you this..... No glutens were harmed in the making of this website.

July 6, 2014

How to Build the Perfect Sandwich- a BLAT



One of Life's Great Pleasures is Bacon

Yummy, yummy bacon

Did you know that Canberra's own Pialligo Farm Estate just won Australia's BEST Artisan Bacon at Australian Bacon Week? They very kindly gifted me a package to try and after tasting it, I can honestly say that the honour was well deserved indeed.
The bacon had a lovely smokey kiss, without being overpowering. The flavour was sweet and the bacon cooked up beautifully, not soggy at all just nice and crispy- yummo!



Plain old fried eggs and bacon seemed a bit prosaic for such an auspicious bacon, so I decided to give myself a real treat. BLT with a twist, actually a BLAT- Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado and Tomato. Just one extra ingredient, but so much extra yum!


Obviously this Sandwich is fairly self explanatory, but just in case you've never heard of one of the best sandwiches in the world, this is how it goes...


The BLAT- a Technical Explanation

Now this is very important indeed... There is a very specific way to assemble a proper BLAT. If it's not done just right you will end up with a disaster- still tasty, but a real mess. Just follow me and I'll explain it as we go....

Bacon- preferably the best in Australia of course :)
Lettuce- I prefer Iceburg as it's got a nice crunch
Avocado
Tomato
then
gluten free Bread or Bread Roll
Mayonnaise or Garlic Aioli
Salt and Pepper to taste


Assemble cold ingredients- nice thick slices of tomato, whole leaves of lettuce- if you shred them they're not as crunchy, and slice the avocado as well




Pop the bacon on to fry




While toasting the bread- I like my bread to be warmed through but only toasted on the inside. Most cafes just pop the complete sandwich under a press and heat it that way, it's certainly a bit easier but not as perfect




Cook the bacon to desired degree of doneness- I like it still soft, but with a bit of crispiness on the edges




Smear aioli generously on warm toasty bread- this acts as a yummy barrier that stops any stray juices from soaking and sogging up the bread




Layer on the tomatoes- don't forget to season. These act as a nice solid base to keep the structural integrity intact




Next the Avocado- putting this on now means the seasoning from the tomatoes will stick to them as well and avoid it being too salty by seasoning twice. They also have just the right amount of 'give' when you take each bite, very necessary for sandwich satisfaction




Now the star of the show, BACON! A double layer is best for perfect bacon-to-everythingelse-ratio
Too little and you don't get the full benefit of the smokey, fatty goodness; and too much and the other ingredients don't get a chance to add the right amount of acidity and creaminess that will show off the bacon to it's best




Finally, the Lettuce- it needs to be on top. If it's on the bottom or in the middle, when you bite down it might slip away and break the whole stack. Not Good. Not good at all




The last piece of the perfect puzzle is the other bit of Bread. The yummy, sticky aioli grabs hold of the lettuce, and I find that the downward pressure when you grip a sandwich, means the lettuce is kept firmly in place and doesn't go slip sliding away




Perfect!
Eat while the bread is still warm, the tomato still cold, and the aioli melts just a little....Mmmm.....


So Dear Readers, did you know it was so technical to make a sandwich, and have you tried Pialligo Estate Bacon yet?


Thanks guys for my packet of deliciousness, and to find out more about Australia's Best Artisan Bacon, check them out here:
@pialligoestate #bacon, #baconweek
 Twitter @pialligoestate Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PialligoEstate Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/pialligoestate/ Instagram http://instagram.com/pialligoestate or their blog http://pialligo.estate/2014/06/15/pialligo-estate-and-farm-1-winter-2014/



 

25 comments:

  1. Wow, how delicious, Bec! I think I'd like to come to your place for lunch and BLAT!

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  2. Lol. This is a great post! Thank you! I know exactly what you mean about building the perfect sandwich. BLT is clearly the best sandwich in the world, and you certainly can't go wrong with a lovely avo! Those Irish boys certainly do make a lovely rasher of bacon, don't they!

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    1. Thanks Susan! The bacon certainly deserved it's medal :)

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  3. I think I'll be visiting the Essential Ingredient for more Pialligo Farm bacon :-)

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    1. I'm with you Gary! My husband loves it now and complains that supermarket bacon is just not good enough :)

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  4. I'm in Bonython and can be there in 20, is that enough time? Drooooooolllll

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    1. Plenty of time! These can be tossed together so quickly for a gourmet snack anytime :)

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  5. Carefully crafted, this sandwich is very close to heaven.

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    1. I wish I could send one to you Maureen, but it wouldn't be warm anymore by the time it got to you :(

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  6. YUMMMMM!!! Am now craving a BLAT in a big way!

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  7. I love BLATS and this is the second blog with this bacon that I've read in the last 5 minutes! :D

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    1. That's because it's just such good bacon Lorraine! :) A well built BLAT is a beautiful thing indeed! xox

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  8. I love the height of your sandwich and how did you get it to all stay together for the photograph? Mine would have collapsed right at the critical moment. I love the look and sound of your bacon - I'm very particular about the kind of bacon I buy and always try to purchase free-range xx

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    1. It's all about the layers Charlie! Good bacon is amazing, but bland supermarket bacon doesn't have much merit- or flavour- at all :) xox

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  9. Woah! That looks amazing. It's soooo big. I may have to unhinge my jaw to chomp through this amazing sandwich!

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    1. It was a little like a Man Vs Food moment MsIHua, but I can proudly say I battled it and won! :)

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  10. That does look good. I have also discovered the delight of bacon, cheese, lettuce and garlic sauce (el jannah, if i have some on hand). So good!

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    1. Sounds delicious indeed! Garlic is another of my very favourite ingredients ever :)

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  11. I wondered what the A would stand for and just realised that the BLTs I had for years were in fact BLATs! :)

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    1. How funny :) The avocado adds such a smooth richness that it's hard for me to imagine a plain BLT now!

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  12. Hey, thanks for the tip! And I thought the BLT is king. But don't look now...with the A coming in, it gives the king a run for his money!

    Julie
    Gourmet Getaways

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  13. Long Live the King! Hope you enjoy the change Julie :) x

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  14. That BLAT looks delicious! You have inspired me: I will make a BLAT for lunch today. If only we had Pialligo Estate Bacon in the Netherlands. Pity!

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