BLTs, BLOATS and basil lemonade

by Chef Boy Ari

In the world of food, there are many flavor combinations that work especially well together. Trained chefs are well versed in the known realms of such tasteful blends, while true culinary artists have the knack for discovering their own. For the rest of us, there are many tried-and-true combinations we can use in our everyday lives, such as oil and vinegar, peanut butter and jelly, wine and cheese, lemon and fish.

What many of these blends have in common is the juxtaposition between a rich, fatty component and an acidic or otherwise sharp component. This dance produces some of the best flavor sensations in the world. It’s why pickles, onions and catsup taste good on a cheeseburger, and potato chips taste good with vinegar. The fat coats the tongue and the acid cuts through the fat and tingles the taste buds.

Below, I’ve listed some other important flavor combinations worth mentioning:

• Mayonnaise is good on almost anything.

• Bacon is good with almost anything.

Today I praise an elegantly masterful food combination that employs all of the aforementioned rules: a simple sandwich of bacon, lettuce and tomato, also known as the BLT.

In my opinion, the BLT is not complete unless it has onions on it. So really, it should be called a BOLT, or a BLOT. Or we could promote the “and” to uppercase status and call the sandwich a BLOAT. This wouldn’t be unfair, considering the fat and carbs involved, and the quantity of consumption inspired by such perfection of flavor.

So perfect, and so simple, there isn’t a whole lot of advice I can give on how to make a BLOAT. The most important thing is to use the best quality ingredients available, and that means local.

Summertime is the optimal time for sandwiches, because so much of what goes in your sandwich is ripe, and the BLOAT is no exception.

I can also say with confidence that toasting the bread before applying the mayonnaise is a good move – and this is true with any sandwich. For all of its virtues, mayo can be a threat to the structural integrity of the sandwich, and even a light toasting helps the bread hang tough.

It’s also important to put mayonnaise on both pieces of bread, so as to ensure that onions and tomatoes both come into full contact with the mayonnaise. The other side of the tomato should be in contact with the bacon. Put the lettuce between the bacon and onions. I like romaine and greenleaf the best. Baby greens work really well, too.

Yes, summer is the season of the sandwich. Not only are the ingredients fresh, but hot weather favors a cool meal, and sandwiches – even with toasted bread – can be served cold. Another reason why sandwiches are good in summertime is that you can serve them with basil lemonade.

To make basil lemonade, you need fresh basil – picked in the last 24 hours. Crush the basil leaves in the bottom of a pitcher with lemon juice and sugar (or lemonade powder, available in bulk at many groovy stores). Add a little hot water to extract the basil flavor and dissolve the sugar, and mash some more. Fill the pitcher with cold water, then ice cubes. Stir, and serve with your sandwich.

While the BLT and its onion-ized derivative are the benchmark for elegant sandwich simplicity, it’s worth playing around with other variations. You can go fancy, fancier and as over-the-top fancy as suits your fancy.

If you really want to go wild, consider a build-your-own sandwich bar. Set out a bunch of different summer sandwich fillers and experiment. I recommend open-faced sandwiches, which allow you to try more different combinations before your tummy is full.

Salads go great on the sandwich bar. For dressing, try the following vinaigrette: Mix one clove garlic, crushed, with ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. I like this vinaigrette because it has mustard in it, which works well with the sandwich vibration. Toss cucumber slices in the same dressing if you want.

Make a bowl of mashed basil, olive oil, garlic, and pine or Brazil nuts. Try smearing this mixture on a piece of bread, along with goat cheese or feta, and toast until the bread browns and the cheese melts. Toss some garlic or onion slices in the pan when you cook your bacon, and put those in a little bowl in your sandwich bar. I stay away from most meats, which can dominate a sandwich, although a little prosciutto or of course (slurp) bacon, will add nicely.

As you munch, you can doctor each bite to suit the results of your ever-evolving exploration in food combining. Need more onion? More mayo? Avocado? Capers? Apricot chutney? Dab some on the edge of your bread, perhaps with some salad on top, or green onion, and give it the experimental chomp. And if this all makes your head spin and you want a sure-fire winner to serve with your basil lemonade, go with what you know can’t go wrong. Go BLOAT. •