Forget the white sliced – Graeme Pallister of 63 Tay Street pimps up picnic sandwiches with some posh breads and fillings.
There has been something of a bread revolution in the past few years: artisan bakers and savoury sour doughs have battled the cheap white loaf into submission! From seeded baps to crusty baguettes, and thick slices of toasted bran spread thick with butter, the winning result is joy to behold.
Of course, I say this as a bit of a sandwich man but that revolution didn’t happen so I could eat fish finger baps for breakfast – although a couple of slices of fresh white cobbler, a wee spread of tartar sauce, and homemade cod goujons hot from the fryer is a perfectly acceptable way to spend a lunch time if you ask me!
Today’s fillings are a far cry from the ‘fish paste on white pan bread’ packed lunch nightmare of my teens. We want artisan cheese to slip in between this wonderful bread, and salty deli counter meats topped with fruity chutney. Like everything, if you buy the best that you can afford, a simple snack will be transformed into a full-blown meal.
I am a bit old school in my taste: a good club sandwich will always win me over – bacon, chicken, lettuce, tomato, mayo and mustard served up on three slices of thinly cut seeded bread.
Picnic sandwiches are the best. Make your base at home, and take a wee board and a knife to finish off the perfect filling once you’re there – no-one wants the soggy wet disappointment of a tomato-soaked piece. Try roast ham from the bone mixed in with diced brie and finished with a spoonful of apricot chutney on the day; or a nutty brown loaf, topped with avocado, peanut butter and banana – what a flavour combination.
Posh sarnies are here to stay; and I am a happier man for it. However, when the mood takes me, you will still find me on a Saturday night, at the end of a busy service, tucking into a cheese and bean toastie, piping hot from the toastie machine and a glorious, satisfying bite of 80s’ sandwich nostalgia.
