The Ultimate BLT Sandwich

[Harry91]

apparently when Thomas Keller makes himself a sandwich, he goes all out.

BLT Fried Egg-and-Cheese Sandwich -- http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/blt-fri...cheese-sandwich

Thats my kinda breakfast...or lunch... or dinner

[Lindacakes]

I dunno, if you're going to go that far, why not two fried eggs? What's with one fried egg? Whoever even heard of one fried egg, what's up with that?

Also, us New Yorkers gotta have our bacon-egg-and-cheese "onnaroll". Nice soft, gooshy roll to absorb any escaped fat.

[chocomoo]

That's the sandwich he taught Adam Sandler to make for Spanglish

[Megan Kathleen]

There's an extra featuring this on the Spanglish DVD, to boot.

[Holly Moore]

Sounds good. But there is something in my inner being that objects to screwing up one of the world's greatest sandwiches with cheese and a fried egg. Especially in the summer with vine ripened tomatoes.

[HKDave]

Ummm, what's so Keller-esque about this sandwich? It's just a BELTCH - bacon, egg, lettuce, tomato and cheese. First time I remember having one was at Glady's Snack Bar in Vancouver in the 70's, and it still occasionally appears on the menu at other restaurants in that town (currently, it's at Paul's Omelettery).

Great sandwich, but not original by any stretch.

[eskay]

I'm gonna have to go with those saying they prefer a normal BLT. Nothing against eggs or cheese, but it just seems overkill.

[jackal10]

I should point out that the egg in a fried egg sandwich should be runny and hot, This will make the lettuce and Tomato go squidgy and the whole sandwich be very messy to eat, especially as toasting the bread reduces its absorbency.

I think the photo must be faked with a cold egg. Nor is the cheese melted, Not the same thing at all

He also omits the vinegar (balsamic if you must) or ketchup essential to a fried egg sandwich.

Real fried egg sandwiches need eating over the sink, and glorious kitchen food they are too

[LittleLea]

He also omits the vinegar (balsamic if you must) or ketchup essential to a fried egg sandwich.

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Here in the South, the essentials to a fried egg sandwich are mayo and hot sauce ;-) mmmm So I guess it just depends on where you are that dictates what makes a good fried egg sandwich. I'd never DREAM of putting ketchup on one!

But I agree, adding cheese and egg to a BLT is overkill.

Edited July 12, 2007 by LittleLea (log)

[Prawncrackers]

Real fried egg sandwiches need eating over the sink, and glorious kitchen food they are too

Yup, i second that, if you're not licking egg and ketchup off your fingers then there's no point!!

What's is so special about Keller's sandwich btw? For me just bacon and egg can't be beat.

Edited July 12, 2007 by Prawncrackers (log)

[382]

Yup hot sauce, cheap vinegar based hot sauce. Forget the mayo too - just real butter on both sides of the gooshy roll. YUM!

[Lima Bean]

Now....that's my kind of sandwhich...late at night after drinking....

Gonna try it this weekend

[jackal10]

The advantage of a fried egg sandwich is that the components - eggs and bread are in most kitchens, most times. Butter leaf lettuce, bacon, tomato and cheese slices may not be

Don't need extra butter (unlike a bacon sarnie) since the egg is fried in butter, Do need a vinegar based sauce to cut the fat,

[doctortim]

It's a great sandwich, but as others have pointed out already it's hardly an original. Hell, even I've been making almost this exact sandwich since I was hungry at home one weekend in grade 11 (I subbed whatever was in the fridge for monterey jack or went without cheese, and added a bit of dijon mustard).

But it's good to know that great tasting food -- the kind of food Thomas Keller would eat for lunch -- isn't out of reach to those without years of experience running a world-regarded kitchen, and access to the best produce suppliers in the country.

[Kent D]

I wouldn't be messing around with frying that egg in butter, not with bacon drippings left in the pan. And I doubt that "butter lettuce" is ever going to make an appearance in my crisper drawer. But I guess Mr. Keller can make his sandwiches the way HE wants to eat them, and I'll make mine my way. And he can sell about a million cookbooks and make a gazillion dollars, and I will continue to fritter away my culinary talent working in a dead-end clerical job.

[slo_ted]

It's hard to beat a BLT, but the BELCH sounds great. Gotta try that combo.

[Terila]

apparently when Thomas Keller makes himself a sandwich, he goes all out.

BLT Fried Egg-and-Cheese Sandwich --  http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/blt-fri...cheese-sandwich

Thats my kinda breakfast...or lunch... or dinner

←

OK, you're not going to believe me but I used to order this several times a week on my way to work over 20 years ago. It was a triple decker toasted BLT with egg. And the place that made it was a stand in the car wash!!!

Great minds ...

[Fugu]

Funny, that weave pattern on the bacon looks exactly like stents used by doctors to open clogged arteries.

Keller's BLT was reminds me of the street food I had while I was in Peru. Best darn Sanguchon I ever had.

[jgm]

I've had BLT's with avocado before, which I think is a divine combination. In Chicago, however, a restaurant called the Brown Sack has the SABLT: shrimp, avocado, bacon, lettuce and tomato (click to image 8).

While I would stipulate that the basic BLT is a classic for good reason, I don't mind riffing on it from time to time. What additions do you like?

Edited August 13, 2010 by heidih
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[Holly Moore]

Though I'm still a BLT purist, especially with summer tomatoes and bacon fresh off the grill, this BLT with avocado and green apples served at the Mango Cafe on Isla Mujeres in Mexico is mighty good.

The mayo in the center is homemade and infused with honey and rice wine.

[jgm]

I wish I hadn't looked at this with 2 hours to go until lunchtime. I'm going to have to try that. Wow!

Time to scrounge change out of the bottom of my purse and see what crap is in the snack machine today.

[Rico]

JGM, I'm with you. I love BLTs, but I especially love BLTs when they have more letters in them. Like SBLTs. And y'all are killing me with the avocado. Wish I'd have done that. Certainly will next time.

Made this one a few days ago with some aioli, because sometimes I like food with my garlic. And Zapp's jalapeno chips.

[JAZ]

While I would stipulate that the basic BLT is a classic for good reason, I don't mind riffing on it from time to time. What additions do you like?

I had BLTs on the brain today, and thought I'd add avocado, but my market had no ripe ones. I started thinking about other variations and decided to try egg salad instead of mayonnaise. No pictures, but it's definitely a keeper.

Though I'm still a BLT purist, especially with summer tomatoes and bacon fresh off the grill, this BLT with avocado and green apples served at the Mango Cafe on Isla Mujeres in Mexico is mighty good.

Holly, what form did the apple take? Diced and mixed in with the avocado? Sounds intriguing.

[judiu]

I had BLTs on the brain today, and thought I'd add avocado, but my market had no ripe ones. I started thinking about other variations and decided to try egg salad instead of mayonnaise. No pictures, but it's definitely a keeper.

JAZ, once you do that, the sandwich (by me) becomes an egg salad with bacon. Add lettuce tomato and thin sliced onions at your discretion... Yum!

[Nicholas Ellan]

To make a stellar BLT, you need two things - great tomatoes, and knowledge of proper assembly. When you assemble your BLT, you need to do it exactly how I tell you to. Toast bread. Put bacon on one piece, tomatoes on the other. Place the mayonnaise directly onto the tomatoes, as well as some salt and pepper. This is the real trick, as putting mayo onto the lettuce or tomato and separating it from the bread prevents the bread from absorbing all your mayo... which creates a much moister sandwich without requiring massive quantities of the white stuff. The bread will still be moistened by tomato juice and bacon grease, so fear not unless you've severely overtoasted it. Stick the lettuce in the middle, slap it together, eat.