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Spring is right here. The daylight has shifted, spring blossoms are in every single place, and ripe, native tomatoes are…nonetheless a methods off. Nonetheless, the hope of heat climate and outside actions has tickled my BLT cravings. Whereas I may make a median bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich with an OK slice of grocery store fruit, I do know I’ll be searching for extra taste and fewer water. So as an alternative of ready for June, I am going to make a winter BLT with some chunky tomato sauce.
I’m not telling you to pour chilly Prego on a sandwich and name it a day—give my weirdo sandwich concepts a bit credit score, please. No, there’s some extra finesse concerned in bringing forth sturdy tomato taste with out unintentionally imparting ketchup vibes. Comply with my directions and also you’ll have a wealthy, salty, tangy BLT to fulfill your pre-peak tomato wants.
I knew I needed to coat some bread with tomato-y goodness. I began by testing skinny tomato sauce from a can, and a brilliant chunky pasta sauce from a jar. The skinny stuff soaked too deeply into my bread, however it’s tremendous if that is all you’ve gotten. I ended up preferring the chunky sauce as a result of it provided extra taste and it created a discernible tomato layer on the bread. To take away that “sauce from a jar” high quality, I then determined to fry my tomato-y bread in leftover bacon fats (as a result of fried bread is best than toast).
My verdict: This winter BLT is incredible. After frying, a delicate char develops on the tomato sauce, the flavour rising sturdy, with a mild sweetness. I did miss the acidic pop of recent tomatoes, however a squeeze of lemon juice over the sauce earlier than assembling the sandwich helps with that.
My greatest tip for fulfillment (and this goes for any BLT): select a spongy bread that with some integrity, like ciabatta, and even delicate rye slices. I used primary delicate wheat slices, and whereas the outcomes have been pleasing, the aspect in touch with the tomato sauce turned fairly soggy. (To be honest, this additionally occurs with recent tomato BLTs, so it’s not precisely a tragedy in case you have no different choices.)
Extremely-rated frying pans to think about for all of your bread frying wants:
Methods to make a winter BLT
1. Prepare dinner the bacon
I desire to bake my bacon, however you possibly can fry it in a pan or prepare dinner it utilizing an air fryer. Do what’s snug. I put a number of slices on a foil lined sheet pan and baked it at 350°F for 20 minutes. As soon as it’s cooked to your texture choice, cool the bacon and use a number of the bacon drippings to flippantly coat a frying pan.
2. Sauce the bread
Credit score: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
Snap the burner on to medium warmth and add a slice of bread. It’ll flippantly toast on that one aspect for about three minutes. Add a pair tablespoons of your favourite chunky tomato sauce to the aspect going through up. Clean it out into a fair layer. I used a fork, as a result of I’m an expert.
3. Fry the tomato aspect
Credit score: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
Drip a bit extra bacon fats over the tomato-coated aspect. Flip the bread over in a single swift movement, and fry the tomato aspect. It’ll sizzle due to the moisture and cool down after a minute. Fry this aspect for about three minutes. While you flip it over once more, it is best to see some charred tomato spots. Cool the bread on a wire cooling rack for about 5 minutes earlier than assembling your sandwich.
4. Construct the sandwich
Now the enjoyable half: meeting (and consuming). I prefer to smother my BLT-destined sandwich bread in mayo, however since one aspect was already occupied with thick tomato jam I restricted the mayonnaise to the opposite slice. Stack on the bacon strips and crunchy lettuce, and press the tomato slathered bread on prime (tomato-side down, naturally).
I’d even argue that consuming a winter BLT is a bit simpler than the standard model as a result of there aren’t slices of watery tomato sliding out of my sandwich. Nonetheless, if you happen to miss the feel of sliced, recent tomatoes, use this trick together with them. Whether or not or not they’re bland received’t matter as a result of the tomato sauce will act as a taste security internet.
