When we think of classics, the first few things that strike us are bacon, lettuce and tomatoes a.k.a the BLT sandwich. Well, you might think that why does one need a BLT recipe. The name itself is self-explanatory B L T- bacon, lettuce, tomatoes sandwiched together. Simple, isn’t it? Just three ingredients. You might want to think again because just like the ultimate Caprese salad, there are a hundred ways to mess up the ultimate BLT sandwich. Everything about this sandwich recipe screams balance. The tanginess and sourness of tomatoes, the smokiness of bacon and coolness of lettuce is just what you need to uplift your mood.
This is a popular snack in America and is slowly taking over the rest of the world since the BLT is low in calories and healthy. You can also pack this for lunch for your kids for school as the BLT takes care of both fussiness and nutrition. The best part is that there are so many spin-offs available in the market to make the regular version healthier. It is so quick and simple that you can make it for breakfast when in a hurry. No need to munch on granola bars anymore!
So let’s see how to ace the BLT sandwich.
Making the avocado spread / Avocado dressing - Start by scooping out the flesh of avocado with a sharp spoon into a bowl. Immediately add lime juice to prevent it from oxidising to a black colour. Mix it well.
Mash the avocado with a fork till a thick paste is achieved. Season it with salt and pepper and set it aside.
How to make sandwich - Slice the loaf into four pieces of bread of medium width. Next, toast these slices only on one side on a griddle (tawa) till golden brown.
Heat the bacon rashers on both sides on the same griddle, until they give off their juices and turn crispy. Do not add any additional fat here, as bacon cooks in its own fat.
Lastly, on the same griddle, heat the oil or butter and crack open two eggs gently allowing them to cook (do not cover the griddle) on a low heat till each egg is cooked all the way through. Sprinkle some salt and pepper once it’s ready.
Assembling the BTL sandwich - Place the slices of the toasted bread on a flat surface (toasted side down) and spread mayonnaise to two slices and prepared avocado spread on the other two.
Layer up lettuce and two tomato slices on two bread with avocado spread. Next, layer up crispy fried bacon and a whole fried egg.
Close the sandwich by placing the mayonnaise spread bread on the top. Place a toothpick in the centre to keep it in place. Serve hot.
Notes
Tips & tricks
The avocado spread isn’t part of the original BLT recipe. It just adds a healthy, creamy and delicious new dimension to each bite.
You can omit the avocado spread and use mayonnaise on all slices. Alternatively, you could use butter or any other spread of your choice.
Pork bacon, although delicious is very high in calories as it contains its own layer of fat. It cooks in its own fat and one doesn’t need to add it in order to cook.
Supermarkets these days have all sorts of spin-offs to bacon. You can use chicken bacon which is 170 calories per 100 gms compared to pork bacon which is a whopping 417 calories at the same weight.
Carefully breaking open the eggs prevents accidental breaking of the yolk and slow cooking retains it pretty sunny side up shape.
When piercing in the toothpick or mini skewer make sure to not go close to the semi-soft egg yolk to prevent a sea of yellow eggs.
About the Author: Parinaaz is an MBA Finance by profession and writer by passion. She blogs on“A Dollop of That!”, which was the outcome of her passion for writing, which surfaced often but never overflowed and since she loves to experiment with ingredients, a recipe blog was her natural choice.When Parinaaz is not blogging, she is running after a feisty four-year-old, practising Iyengar yoga, mimicking all and sundry or photographing pretty flowers depending on what time of the day it is. You can be in touch with Parinaaz on her blog – A Dollop of That, or like her Facebook page, or follow her onInstagram,Twitter handle and Google+