Mozzarella, tomato & basil
If you know me, you’ll know a man who thinks that there’s little better than a slab or two of recently slaughtered animal to go between the two slices of bread in my lunchbox. That said, I’m happy to admit that after several years in the ‘I’m-only-eating-nuggets’ wilderness as a child, I’m now a firm fan of a less meaty filling, should the occasion call for it. Today’s sandwich came from a casual chat with a friend at The Butty’s favourite pub – The Euston Tap. His better half had requested a creation with a more Italian theme, and well, who are we to say no to a lady?
This is a simple sandwich with fairly subtle flavours – no sticky sauces, and no big salads. First things first, the bread’s a fresh ciabatta – baked, cut in half, then grilled to crisp the inside (important, as the ingredients here are very moist). Inside, there’s thick sliced organic vine tomatoes, ripe and tasty. Crap tomatoes will ruin this sandwich, as they’re providing so much of the flavour – if you skimp here, there’ll be no taste at all come lunchtime. On top of the toms, sliced mozzarella – tearing is an option, but cutting it thick means you get a bit more bite in the butty. Finally, the garnish is simple a few fresh basil leaves, a few glugs of balsamic across the top of everything, and a grind of black pepper. As an extra, there’s a dusting of grated parmigiano reggiano that I had left over from my dinner (Jamie Oliver’s Proper Bloke’s Sausage Fusilli – well worth a go, by the by) – should keep things nice and tart.
Of course, if you’re making this the night before, then you might find yourself with a little to spare… so grab a slice of wholemeal, toast it, put on a scraping of butter (or, even better, a splash of extra virgin olive oil). Then just dice up whatever tomato you’ve got left, rip up the leftover mozzarella, and finish with some balsamic – that way, you’ll know what you’ve got to look forward to in the morning.
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