What’s better than a bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich? How about a BLT loaded with thick-cut bacon, paper-thin prosciutto and peppery watercress—then slathered with thick, tangy homemade mayonnaise? Here’s how to build a nice, fat sandwich that not only tastes great, but is designed to stay together when you eat it.
Now, you’re going to laugh, but I’m kind of fussy about sandwich construction, because I hate eating something that falls apart after the first bite.
Alternating the slippery ingredients (prosciutto, tomatoes) with ingredients that provide a little traction (small leaves of watercress and crispy bacon), helps the whole thing hang together better.
Kind of silly? Sure. But it does help keep your lunch off your lap.
I used thick-cut bacon, cooked extra crispy in the oven. (Line a sheet pan with foil, set a rack on it, spread the bacon out on the rack, bake in the oven at 400 degrees ’til done to your liking).
For an extraordinary sandwich, get the highest-quality ingredients you can get your paws on.
Fresh watercress
It’s still too early for local tomatoes, but I managed to find a fabulous hydroponic tomato grown in Vermont. It wasn’t quite the same as one fresh out of the backyard, but it was miles away from an ordinary supermarket tomato. And, it was h-u-g-e.
Here’s a teaspoon, for comparison.
To take it over the top, make your own mayonnaise (more on that to come, tomorrow). It’s easy to do and adds a ton of flavor.
Peppery BLT with Prosciutto
1 thick slice of ciabatta, toasted if you like
mayonaisse
4 slices bacon, crisp and cool
4 slices prosciutto
8-10 watercress leaves
2 thin slices of tomato
Makes 1 sandwich
Split your bread in half. Spread one half with mayo.
Add the bacon on the side with the mayo.
(Mmmmm, bacon.)
Layer the prosciutto on the other half.
(Mmmm, prosciutto.)
Overlap the watercress on top of the prosciutto.
Top the watercress with thin slices of ripe tomato.
Put the sandwich together.
Press down on it a little to smoosh it together.
Inhale and enjoy!
