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/