A Toast to the Great British Sandwich.
So shoot me down…I’m a little patriotic when it comes to food, but I think us Brits are literally smitten with sarnies. I know I am.
And this week represents the most wonderful opportunity to get stuck in and celebrate one of Britain’s most cherished institutions – the sandwich!
Whilst there are dozens of quality high street sandwich shops and deli’s such as Pret A Manger, Deli France and the like – there is nothing and I mean NOTHING that can compare to a home-made sarnie constructed with a little creativity and a loving hand.
So…Great British Sandwich week got me thinking…what’s great about Britain…what is more, what would be great about Britain in a sandwich? Well when it comes to tradition, my feet are firmly screwed to the floor when I say that the Sunday Roast Dinner has to be one of Britain’s biggest traditions. Who says roasts have to be just for Sundays? In fact leftovers were frequently used as fillings for sandwiches…and rightly so. Who would want to miss out on second helpings with a twist?
Here’s my take on what I think has to be The Great British Sandwich.
Rare Roast Beef Sandwich with Caramelised Onions
Serves approx: 2
Ingredients:
4 thick slices of crusty granary bread
6 slices of thinly sliced rare roast beef
Crispy romaine lettuce – shredded or alternatively watercress
For the Horseradish cream
50ml Mayonnaise
50ml of crème fraiche
45g fresh horseradish, grated, or chopped.
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
½ tablespoon of lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper.
For the Caramelised Onions
Knob of Butter
1 red or whte onion, cut into rings and seasoned.
Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
1-2 teaspoons Demerara Sugar
Method:
First I would suggest that you prepare the Caramelised Onions, and please bear in mind that you could make a whole batch of this and it will keep in a lidded jar for a month or so in your fridge. It is the perfect accompaniment to go with cheeses and salads.
Belt butter in pan, when it has reached a honeycomb like effect now is the time to add your seasoned onions, sweat for 2-3 minutes and sprinkle the sugar over – if needed add a little water. When the sugar has began to caramelise add a good tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, you want the pan to be hot enough to burn out the vinegar leaving a nice sweet taste. Continue to cook for a further 4-5 minutes until the onions are really starting to reduce in size now. Remove from the heat when you have achieved a nice sticky consistency.
Next, time to prepare the Horseradish Cream.
In a non-metallic bowl, grate or chop the horseradish, next add the mayonnaise and crème fraiche and combine all ingredients together. Finally adding, the lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Season to taste. As an optional extra for colour, snip chives into the mix.
Assembly time:
Butter the bread, position lettuce on one slice and slather horseradish cream on the other. Layer the rare roast beef on top of the lettuce and top off with your now warm caramelised onions. Sandwich together.
So shoot me down…I’m a little patriotic when it comes to food, but I think us Brits are literally smitten with sarnies. I know I am.
And this week represents the most wonderful opportunity to get stuck in and celebrate one of Britain’s most cherished institutions – the sandwich!
Whilst there are dozens of quality high street sandwich shops and deli’s such as Pret A Manger, Deli France and the like – there is nothing and I mean NOTHING that can compare to a home-made sarnie constructed with a little creativity and a loving hand.
So…Great British Sandwich week got me thinking…what’s great about Britain…what is more, what would be great about Britain in a sandwich? Well when it comes to tradition, my feet are firmly screwed to the floor when I say that the Sunday Roast Dinner has to be one of Britain’s biggest traditions. Who says roasts have to be just for Sundays? In fact leftovers were frequently used as fillings for sandwiches…and rightly so. Who would want to miss out on second helpings with a twist?
Here’s my take on what I think has to be The Great British Sandwich.
Rare Roast Beef Sandwich with Caramelised Onions
Serves approx: 2
Ingredients:
4 thick slices of crusty granary bread
6 slices of thinly sliced rare roast beef
Crispy romaine lettuce – shredded or alternatively watercress
For the Horseradish cream
50ml Mayonnaise
50ml of crème fraiche
45g fresh horseradish, grated, or chopped.
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
½ tablespoon of lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper.
For the Caramelised Onions
Knob of Butter
1 red or whte onion, cut into rings and seasoned.
Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
1-2 teaspoons Demerara Sugar
Method:
First I would suggest that you prepare the Caramelised Onions, and please bear in mind that you could make a whole batch of this and it will keep in a lidded jar for a month or so in your fridge. It is the perfect accompaniment to go with cheeses and salads.
Belt butter in pan, when it has reached a honeycomb like effect now is the time to add your seasoned onions, sweat for 2-3 minutes and sprinkle the sugar over – if needed add a little water. When the sugar has began to caramelise add a good tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, you want the pan to be hot enough to burn out the vinegar leaving a nice sweet taste. Continue to cook for a further 4-5 minutes until the onions are really starting to reduce in size now. Remove from the heat when you have achieved a nice sticky consistency.
Next, time to prepare the Horseradish Cream.
In a non-metallic bowl, grate or chop the horseradish, next add the mayonnaise and crème fraiche and combine all ingredients together. Finally adding, the lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Season to taste. As an optional extra for colour, snip chives into the mix.
Assembly time:
Butter the bread, position lettuce on one slice and slather horseradish cream on the other. Layer the rare roast beef on top of the lettuce and top off with your now warm caramelised onions. Sandwich together.
Sandwich Heaven? Yesiree….I’m one happy lady. Make this, and you’ll never be satisfied with a bog standard sandwich ever again...
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