Lobster Salad Sandwich

Recipe: Lobster Salad Sandwich
Page: 106
Date Cooked: November 9, 2012

If you are reading this blog and are thinking, "Wow, she has gone lobster crazy!" I would have to agree. Apparently, because of last year's warm winter there are just too many lobsters on the East Coast. So at this time, grocery stores are having some intense lobster sales. Which means checking off those last few lobster recipes. You may happen to see some photos that look a bit familiar; and that is because I made the Lobster and Potato Chip Salad recipe at the same time as this one. This also happens to be the last of the 13 sandwich recipes.

Ingredients: Lobster (not shown), corn, olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper, red bell pepper, basil, white wine, tomato, and baguette

I brought a pot of salted water to a boil, added the lobster, and cooked. I removed the lobster from the pot and began cracking the shells to get the lobster meat. I diced the lobster meat and put it in the fridge.

Left: Cooking lobster
Right: Diced lobster meat

I cut the corn kernels off the cob. I cooked the corn for a few minutes with some olive oil, salt and pepper.

Cooking the corn

I roasted the red bell pepper till blackened and blistered. I steamed, peeled, stemmed, seeded, and diced the red pepper.

Prepping the red bell pepper

I blended basil, olive oil, and the white wine together to create a basil dressing. I also diced the tomato.

Right: Basil oil
Left: Diced tomato

I combined the corn, tomato, lobster, and basil oil in a bowl.

Lobster salad sandwich filling

Then it was on to assembling the sandwich. I split the baguette in half and lightly toasted it under the broiler. I topped the baguette halves with the lobster salad and served the sandwich open faced.

Lobster Salad Sandwich

Jonathan Waxman compares this to a lobster roll and I'm not sure that is a fair comparison. A great lobster is something on it own. Having said that, this sandwich was really good. It was light, fresh, and packed full of flavor. I really liked the basil-oil-white wine dressing, it worked. The sandwich works with a tried and true flavor combo - basil, tomatoes, and corn. All in all a great sandwich.

Enjoy!

Smoked Salmon, Caviar, and Cream Cheese Sandwich

Recipe: Smoked Salmon, Caviar, and Cream Cheese Sandwich
Page: 98
Date Cooked: August 26, 2012

If you had to name a "fancy" sandwich, well then this would be it. Smoked salmon, caviar, cream cheese, and, crème fraîche...oh my! This is not a sandwich for the faint at heart nor anyone attempting to be on a diet.

The moment I saw that this recipe called for caviar, I knew my grad student budget would take a bit of a hit. But all is fair in love and delicious-ness, right? Jonathan Waxman suggests using American hacleback or paddlefish caviar. I opted for bowfin caviar. Bowfin is an American caviar and resembles sturgeon caviar. Also, at $10 per ounce, it was the more affordable option. I just hoped it was a suitable substitute for the recipe.

Ingredients: White sandwich bread, cream cheese, unsalted butter, crème fraîche, chives, bowfin caviar, and smoked salmon

I trimmed the crusts off the bread and then toasted the bread slices lightly.

Toasting bread

While the bread cooled, I moved on to the cream cheese mixture. I mixed together the cream cheese, butter, crème fraîche, and chives.

Cream cheese mixture

And that is all the hard the part. The rest was just putting the sandwich together. I spread the cream cheese mixture on one slice of toast and topped it with caviar. I then put the smoked salmon on the other slice of toast. Finally, I put the halves together and it was ready for consumption.

Smoked Salmon, Caviar, and Cream Cheese Sandwich

This sandwich was delicious! Beyond fancy of course, but it was simply pure yummy-ness. What I find almost amusing is that the recipe calls for not just cream cheese or crème fraîche...oh wait you need to add butter in it as well! But all that fat is cut by the smoked salmon and the salty, briny taste of the caviar. And the choice to go with the bowfin caviar worked perfectly, so I was happy about that. I'm not sure what more I can say about this sandwich. It was super fast to put together and tasted amazing. Do I want to make it again? YES! However, I'm not sure my arteries or my bank account would benefit!

Enjoy!

Eggplant, Pepper, Zucchini, and Pesto Sandwich

Recipe: Eggplant, Pepper, Zucchini, and Pesto Sandwich
Page: 114
Date Cooked: March 26, 2012

I have been somewhat intimidated and excited about this recipe. A key part of this dish involved bread making. While I have made pizza dough on a number of occasions(i.e. Pizza with Bacon, Scallions, Parmesan, and Tomato), I have never made bread. So here it went....

Lager, active dry yeast, all-purpose flour, olive oil, wheat flour, sea salt, pine nuts, garlic, basil, Parmesan cheese, zucchini, eggplant, onion, green bell pepper, and tomatoes

I mixed beer, yeast, and some all-purpose flour into a bowl. I then added olive oil and warm water, mixing well. I let this sponge rest for about an hour in a warm location. After the hour, I added more all-purpose flour, the whole wheat flour, salt, and some more warm water. I floured a counter top and kneaded the dough until it was smooth and elastic. Finally, I coated a bowl with olive oil and placed the dough in the bowl. I covered the bowl and let the dough double in size.

(1) Bread sponge (2) Kneading the dough (3) Dough tossed in olive oil (4) Bread dough doubled in size

I then proceeded to make the pesto. I toasted pine nuts in the oven for just a few minutes. I then added garlic, basil, Parmesan, and the toasted pine nuts to a food processor and created a rough paste. With the processor on low, I slowly poured the olive oil.

Making pesto

Once the dough was ready, I dusted some baking sheets with flour. I then placed the dough back onto my floured counter top and cut it into 12 equal portions. I formed each portion into an oval and dusted the tops with a bit of flour. The bread ovals went on to the baking sheets and into the oven, until the bread turned a golden brown.

Baking bread

While the bread baked, I made the vegetable filling. I diced the zucchini, eggplant, onion, bell pepper, and tomatoes. I also minced the garlic. I heated olive oil and added the zucchini, eggplant, and onion - stirring and cooking until golden brown. I then reduced the heat added the garlic and red bell pepper for a bit. I added the tomatoes and let them cook. I removed the pot from the heat, allowed the mixture to cool, and stirred in the pesto.

Eggplant, pepper, zucchini, and pesto filling

I sliced pockets into the bread and stuffed it with a serious amount of the eggplant filling.

Eggplant, Pepper, Zucchini, and Pesto Sandwich

Alright, let's break this sandwich review down to two parts: (1) the bread and (2) the filling. My first question is why didn't anyone tell me it was that easy and delicious to make bread?!? It was just like making pizza dough! I thought the bread was pretty delicious but perhaps could have used some honey in the mixture, just to sweeten it up a bit. On to the filling... JW described the filling as a deconstructed ratatouille, which it is really is. I enjoyed the filling. And though the pesto seems to get a bit lost, especially the basil flavor, I think it binds all those veggies together.

So the sandwich as whole...delicious. Would I make it again? Probably. Am I making the bread again? Definitely!

Enjoy!

Spicy Swordfish Salad Sandwich

Recipe: Spicy Swordfish Salad Sandwich
Page: 107
Date Cooked: January 16, 2012

When you're cooking every recipe in a cookbook, you have to got to be strategic. Seeing if a specialty ingredient is required in multiple recipes or if one builds off another is essential. One thing JW likes to do is create sandwiches with leftovers from other recipes. Previously, I made a Roast Chicken and Scallion Sandwich with Warm Mayonnaise with leftovers from Perfect Roast Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Spinach. This particular sandwich uses the swordfish leftovers from Spicy Swordfish. Had I not realized this before, it would have been unlikely that there would be any spicy swordfish leftovers to even make this sandwich!

Ingredients: Left-over swordfish, green bell pepper, aioli from page 102 (not shown), capers, dill pickle, chives, iceberg lettuce, olive oil, Hass avocado, sea salt, and rye bread

The aioli that Jonathan Waxman calls for this recipe has actually been utilized in two previous recipes (Warm Squid Salad and Soft Shell Crab and Aioli Sandwich). Those aioli making experiences were without a doubt sub-par. And since I have had mayo making success since then, I had high hopes for myself this time around.

I put egg yolks and garlic into a blender and pureed. I then added some salt. As the blender ran on a medium level speed, I slowly dribbled in the olive oil until the sauce began to emulsify. And you wouldn't believe it......aioli making success!!! I got the perfect consistency! It almost makes me want to re-do the other two recipes just to see if my verdict on those recipes would change at all.

Aioli making
1. Egg yolks and garlic 2. Aioli beginning to emulsify 3. Finished product - check out that consistency!

With the aioli out of the way, I began sandwich prep. I crumbed the fish into flakes and stemmed, seeded, and diced the bell pepper.

Left: Flakes of swordfish 2. Diced green bell pepper

I combined the aioli, capers, pickle, chives, and fish in a bowl. I covered the mixture and let it stand in the fridge.

Spicy Swordfish Salad mixture

In the meantime, I tossed the lettuce with olive oil and salt. I also pitted, peeled, and sliced the avocado.

Left: Slicing avocado Right: Lettuce tossed with olive oil and sea salt

I then toasted the bread and began putting the sandwich together. I spread the swordfish mixture onto one slice and topped it with the lettuce and avocado slices.

Spicy Swordfish Salad Sandwich

Yum! This was one tasty fish sandwich. Note: JW says any mild fish will work here. I really liked the sandwich. The crunch of the bell pepper and pickle was a perfect textural contrast. The avocado provided the right amount of fat. And this sounds so minor, but I think there is something to tossing the lettuce in olive oil and sea salt - you essentially get flavor from every single component of the sandwich. This was a winner in my book. I can't wait to have leftover fish in my future!

Enjoy!

Roast Chicken and Scallion Sandwich with Warm Mayonnaise

Recipe: Roast Chicken and Scallion Sandwich with Warm Mayonnaise
Page: 108
Date Cooked: October 2, 2011

You know the feeling one gets after you cook a great meal and are incredibly satisfied? You begin to clean up,  realize you have an exorbitant amount of leftovers, and try to think of ways to use whatever is left. Well, one big reason why I like this recipe so much is that it gave me the opportunity to use my leftovers from the previous post.

Ingredients: lemon, scallions, olive oil, egg yolks, capers, salt, pepper, ciabatta, shredded meat from perfect roast chicken with mashed potatoes, and spinach, and chives

Since one major component (the roast chicken) of the sandwich is already taken care, the other component is the warm mayonnaise. Now I've made mayonnaise a number of times as I've cooked through this cookbook. However, the technique was very different this time around. It was the first time, JW called for the use of a double boiler. Accordingly, I put a few inches of water in a pan to simmer for a bit. I then whisked the lemon juice, egg yolks, and some olive oil together into another pan. I set the smaller pan on top of the larger pan and continued to whisk as I slowly added olive oil. I continued doing this just until I got a soft, fluffy mayonnaise. Afterward, I removed the pan from the heat, stirred in the capers and chopped scallions, and seasoned with salt and pepper.

Process of making warm mayonnaise

I then split the ciabatta horizontally and placed it under the broiler to toast. In the meantime, I combined the chicken with the mayonnaise.

Left: Sliced ciabatta Right: Chicken mixed with scallion mayonnaise

Once the ciabatta was toasted, I spread the chicken mixture over the bread and sprinkled it with chives. Furthermore, I followed Jonathan Waxman's suggestion to serve it open faced.

Roast Chicken and Scallion Sandwich with Warm Mayonnaise

This sandwich was a perfect way to use up some leftover roasted chicken. But the difficult part is that I can't decide what component made the sandwich so good. First off, I loved the roast chicken from the previous recipe. Secondly, this mayonnaise recipe was really great. It had the perfect amount of acidity. Also, the scallions and capers really gave it a great texture. Since I can't decide between the two, I have to conclude it was the combination.

All in all, I highly recommend the sandwich. It wasn't chicken salad. It wasn't just mayonnaise with chicken. It was a "Roast Chicken and Scallion Sandwich with Warm Mayonnaise."

Enjoy!

Wilted Greens and Goat Cheese Sandwich

Recipe: Wilted Greens and Goat Cheese Sandwich
Page: 100
Date Cooked: September 27, 2011

I don't have much to compare this sandwich to and in this case it's a good thing. I thought the flavors were simply unique. Furthermore, I think it really is a sophisticated (JW's word choice) vegetarian sandwich.

Ingredients: sweet onion, garlic, olive oil, chopped greens, goat cheese, salt,  pepper, red pepper flakes, parsley, butter, and sourdough bread

The sandwich concept is really simple but I think it's the small touches of what to cook that makes it soo good. The first steps included slicing the onion (even though the recipe intro mentions minced onions) and mincing the garlic. I then heated some olive oil in a pan, sauteed the onions, added the garlic, and sauteed it a bit more. I then added the greens, until wilted and tender. The pan was then set aside to cool.

1. Sliced onions 2. Minced garlic 3. Sauteed onions, garlic, and greens

In the meantime, I mashed the goat cheese with a fork and added salt, pepper, and red chili flakes. I then stirred in the greens mixture and the parsley as well as additional salt and pepper to taste.

Wilted greens and goat cheese mixture

I lightly buttered the bread and spread the goat-cheese mixture onto the bread slices. I also melted some butter in a pan and then placed the sandwich (un-buttered side down) until the bread was golden brown.

Cooking the sandwiches

Once the sandwich was cooked on both sides, I removed it from the pan, cut it in half, and it was ready for consumption.

Wilted Greens and Goat Cheese Sandwich

Like I said, this was a sophisticated sandwich and I really enjoyed it. I enjoy vegetarian sandwiches, but often find them to be a little one note, however this was not at all. There was just the right amount of garlic. The parsley gave a great earthiness that goes so well with the goat cheese. I had some leftover goat cheese-greens mixture and made the same sandwich the next day, but without all the butter, and it was still just as good!  Overall, the sandwich was filling and overall yummy.

Enjoy!

Soft-Shell Crab and Aioli Sandwich

Recipe: Soft-Shell Crab and Aioli Sandwich
Page: 102
Date Cooked: July 29, 2011

Jonathan Waxman opens up this recipe recollecting his first crab po' boy - french roll, spicy mayo, and deep-fried crab. This recipe was his spin on that sandwich but with a few modifications - roll, aioli, and roasted soft-shell crab. Considering the last JW soft-shell crab recipe I made was such a success, I was excited to see what he had in store for this one.

Ingredients: Soft-shell crabs, orange, garlic, olive oil, white wine, paprika, egg yolks, salt, and rolls

The first step was to create the marinade for the crabs. I combined the orange juice, olive oil, white wine, minced garlic, and paprika into a bowl. I then tossed the crabs in the marinade and placed them in the fridge.

Soft-shell crabs in the marinade

While the crabs marinated, I decided to attack the aioli. I pureed the egg yolks and garlic, added the salt, and then dribbled in the olive oil until the sauce began to emulsify. I have been struggling through a number of recipes to perfect my mayonnaise and aioli making skills. And though this aioli definitely was not perfect, I can see that it is getting there.

Aioli

With the oven pre-heated, I placed the crabs on a baking sheet and they roasted until golden brown and cooked through.

Roasting soft-shell crabs and turning once

Once the crabs were roasted, I cut them into pieces, tossed them in the aioli, and placed them on the buns.

Soft-shell crab and aioli sandwich

So I have to say I was a tad bit disappointed with the sandwich. The soft-shell crab itself was amazing and tasted delicious roasted. But the sandwich fell flat. It needed another flavor dimension or texture. I think the recipe was on the right track but it just didn't do it for me.

Enjoy!

Pulled Beef and BBQ Sauce Sandwich

Recipe: Pulled Beef and BBQ Sauce Sandwich
Page: 109
Date Cooked: April 14, 2011

I've said it before and I'll say it again: slow cooking/braising = rich and tender meat! That is the punchline to this recipe. In terms of days for preparation and waiting among the recipes I have done thus far, the Pulled Beef and BBQ Sandwich, is in first place.

Ingredients: Onions, garlic, Anaheim chiles, beef chuck, salt, pepper, olive oil, lager, parsley, sweet onion, San Marzano plum tomatoes, cilantro, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, and potato buns (not shown)

This recipe took a little bit of planning, especially when I realized that "the beef should be made 1 to 2 days ahead, covered, and refrigerated." So in order to get that beef all ready, I had to prepare the ingredients for the braise:

1. Chopped onions 2. Stemmed, seeded, and chopped chiles 3. Minced garlic

Luckily for me, I got my butcher to chop the chuck into 2" chunks. Accordingly, I seasoned the beef with salt and pepper and seared it on all sides in a Dutch oven with some hot olive oil.

Searing the beef

The seared meat was removed from the Dutch oven and set aside. The onions, garlic, and chiles were added to the casserole and sauteed. Then the beer (I used a PA beer, Stoudts) was added to the onion mixture. The beef was place back in the dish, along with the parsley and some water. Finally, the lid was placed on top and the meat simmered for 7 hours.

Beef with its braising liquid

After the 7 hours passed, I removed the beef from the mixture and shred it with two forks. It was then covered and refrigerated for 2 days. I also reserved some of the braising liquid for later.

Pulled beef

Now that the pulled beef part of the recipe was taken care, it was on to the BBQ sauce part. I have interesting mishap, well not exactly a mishap, concerning the BBQ sauce (it all got sorted out). The day I was going to serve the sandwiches is the day I created the BBQ sauce. I initially placed only the chopped sweet onion, tomatoes, Worcestershire, and Tabasco into the blender - thinking this is all I needed for the sauce. I loved this mixture. It was on the spicy side, but I like when my BBQ sauce has some kick to it.

However, a few minutes later, I re-read the directions and realized I also needed to add the reserved cooking  liquid and cilantro to this blended mixture. I did that and thought the BBQ sauce still tasted good. But it tasted more like salsa, a spicy salsa, but a salsa nonetheless.

BBQ Sauce

Finally, it was time to combine the two items and make the sandwich. The potato buns were toasted. The bun bottom was topped with the beef and then some of the sauce.

Pulled Beef and BBQ Sauce Sandwich

The first bite of the sandwich fell a little flat. Me and my guests were all trying to figure out what was missing and then a suggestion was made: Salt! So for our second sandwich helpings (it was definitely still good enough for seconds) we added salt to the beef and then proceeded to make our sandwiches. This was definitely the trick! You could taste all the flavor and everything came together quite nicely. However, we were all in agreement, though the BBQ sauce was good, it still felt like salsa.

All in all, I would make it again. And it is relatively little work, other than setting aside the 7 hours to allow it to braise. But it's a great item for a BBQ. I would however consider sticking to my mishap BBQ sauce. It was really good...maybe I'm on to something!

Enjoy!

Grilled Fontina and Prosciutto Sandwich

Recipe: Grilled Fontina and Prosciutto Sandwich
Page: 110
Date Cooked: February 20, 2011

The best way to describe this recipe is: Fancy Ham and Cheese. But not only is it a fancy little sandwich, it was pretty delicious as well. And boy oh boy, does Jonathan Waxman love his butter!

Prosciutto, Fontina, French sourdough, and butter

Slices of prosciutto and Fontina were layered on the bread. The top of each sandwich was also lightly buttered.

Layered slices of Fontina and prosciutto

Butter was melted in a skillet and once it began to bubble, the sandwich was added, un-buttered side down, flipped once, and cooked till golden brown on both sides.

From Left to Right: 1.Melting the butter 2.One side being grilled 3.The flip and other side being grilled

Once the cheese was visibly melting, the sandwich was removed, sliced in half, and served with pickles and mustard.

Grilled Fontina and Prosciutto Sandwich

Like I mentioned earlier, this is a fancy ham and cheese. However, I am a huge fan of Fontina cheese - it really has this wonderful earthy taste that pairs incredibly well with the prosciutto (and I'm sure the 45% milk fat content doesn't hurt either). All in all, it was good but not glamorous.

Enjoy!

Pizza with Bacon, Scallions, Parmesan, and Tomato

Recipe: Pizza with Bacon, Scallions, Parmesan, and Tomato
Page: 116
Date Cooked: January 14, 2011

Great pizza is a God send and can be very difficult to find. The right crust, the right amount of toppings, and of course the perfect topping combination - you need it all for a great pizza. This was the first time I had attempted to make pizza dough and was worried I would mess it all up (the dough IS one the best parts). Luckily, that wasn't the case.

Ingredients: Unbleached all purpose-flour, honey, olive oil, active dry yeast, salt, bacon, scallions, tomatoes, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, black pepper

Well you can't have a pizza without the base, hence dough preparation was the first step. Some flour, honey, warm water, olive oil, and yeast were added to a bowl and mixed together. This mixture was to sit in a warm place for 1 hour until it doubled in size. Being as it was my first attempt at making pizza dough, I documented this hour carefully.

Pizza dough sponge mixture at 20 minute intervals

After the hour, additional flour was added along with some salt; and the dough was kneaded. Jonathan Waxman makes note that "the dough should be moist, not dry." At this point, I was little worried because the dough appeared to be really moist, but I went with it. The bowl was covered and set aside for 2 hours for another round of doubling.

Left: Dough after kneading
Right: Dough after 2 hours - it doubled!

Once the dough was ready, the oven was set to preheat, and the toppings got some attention.

From Left to Right: Sliced scallions. Diced tomatoes. Diced bacon.

The dough was rolled out on a floured surface to about a 12-inch round. It was then sprinkled with the bacon, scallions, tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese. Finally it was topped with some olive oil, salt, and black pepper.

Pizza ready for the oven

While the pizza baked, the smells were simply intoxicating - the dough, the bacon, and the tomatoes wafted throughout my house. Once I saw that the crust was a perfect golden brown, I knew it was ready to eat.

Pizza with Bacon, Scallions, Parmesan, and Tomato

I savored this pizza. It was soo good. The crust was just perfect. Simple but perfect. The flavor combination was also exactly what I never knew I wanted. Bacon is always a good choice. And tomatoes and Parmesan are quite predictable. But the use of scallions over other onions really made the pizza. You got the onion flavor without feeling like you were eating just onions. Every topping complimented the other.

I am now convinced that making pizza from scratch is the way to go. While it may seem like it takes time. Much of that time is spent waiting and the kind of waiting that doesn't require you to really do anything. Another great recipe. Another keeper.

And for all you pizza lovers, here is a close-up of the ingredients. Seeing this is just making me hungry again!

Pizza Close-Up

Enjoy!