Category: Sandwiches

Recipe: Tomato Toast

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Hello!

I feel like I finally have time to write on here again. This weekend was the paus button I so very much needed. I feel so lucky to have had such a lovely summer, but we have been on the move quite a lot (Norfolk, London, Sweden, Paris, Norfolk, London, Norfolk and now back in London again) and for some reason, writing blog posts is the first thing to go when I have a lot on. It takes a lot of time, and requires more writing than say Instagram, so although I love it it’s a bigger mountain to climb. But I’m here now and hope I will have time to tackle a lot of the back log this autumn. But if I go quiet on here, you can always pop over to Instagram where I pretty much post every day.

One recipe I really want to share with you before tomato season is truly over for this year, is this simple tomato toast. It’s barely a recipe; more an idea, and a call to really enjoy those last good tomatoes of the season. Because a simple recipe require the ingredients to be good quality. There is little point making this in January with imported tomatoes that have barely seen the sun.

But back to the recipe/idea. When I was little we had a weird and wonderful thing in Sweden; salmon mayonnaise. It came in a tube, was salmon pink and tasted heavenly. I don’t remember it tasting of salmon per se, but it had an umami flavour that paired so well with tomatoes. So I basically grew up eating a version of this open-faced sandwich. Salmon mayonnaise has since been continued in Sweden, but still exists in Finland, so there have been a few rare occasions I have been able to get hold of some.

But this tomato toast is just as good as my childhood version but with readily available ingredients.

It’s my favourite lunch from August to October and the flavours are so so good together I think anyone who likes tomatoes will love this!

Tomato toast, serves 2

2 slices good bread, toasted (flimsy white bread is discouraged here)

salted butter

2 tbsp Hellmann’s mayonnaise

3-4 ripe tomatoes, washed, dried and at room temperature, thinly sliced with a serrated knife

a small bunch chives, finely chopped

salt and pepper

Let the toasted bread cool a little before spreading a very thin layer of butter on top. Spread a thicker layer of mayonnaise on top. Arrange the tomato slices on the toasts, as closely together as possible. Sprinkle with chives, a good pinch of sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Enjoy!

Recipe: Langos with Two Toppings

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I’ve featured langos on the blog before, but I recently discovered a new combination of toppings that I want to share with you.

To recap, langos are Hungarian breads with potato and flour, that are deep-fried into pillowy golden discs, brushed with butter (I used wild garlic butter this time and it was divine) and topped with things like grated cheese, smetana or creme fraiche, prawns etc. They are utterly delicious and deceivingly filling!

Langos with wild garlic butter, creme fraiche, prawns, red onions and lumpfish roe

Langos are present at any Swedish festival so my go to toppings have always been very Scandinavian with creme fraiche, prawns, smoked salmon and lumpfish roe. But as I was making these for our Friday night supper at home I thought I’d better have an alternative to prawns so my dear boyfriend doesn’t get bored of them (they’re my Friday night go-to food as they’re delicious, quick and easy and can be prepared in a multitude of ways). But I must say I really liked the alternative topping of crispy prosciutto crumbs, grated cheddar and creme fraiche myself, so from now on, that will be part of my spread!

Langos with wild garlic butter, creme fraiche, crispy prosciutto and grated cheddar

I highly recommend having friends over for a langos night (when that’s allowed in your area) with all the different toppings, maybe a nice side salad and a Hungarian themed pudding. And why not go all in with Hungarian wines too?! (Can you tell I miss dinner parties and love a themed evening?!)

Langos with two toppings, serves 2

1/2 batch of langos (I made the full batch but froze half)

Toppings:

50 g melted wild garlic or garlic butter for brushing

150 ml creme fraiche

150 ml grated cheddar

1 packet prosciutto (70-80 g)

200 g peeled cold water prawns

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

1/2 jar lumpfish roe

Prepare the toppings in little bowls. Place the prosciutto on a baking parchment covered baking tray in a 200C oven until the ham is crispy, approx 5-10 minutes. Drain on kitchen towel and chop into small pieces and place in a bowl.

Deep-fry the langos according to the recipe and drain on kitchen towel. While still warm, brush one side generously with wild garlic or garlic butter. Add various toppings to the langos and dig in. Either deep-fry the langos in batches as you eat them or keep them warm and crispy in the oven on 150C or so.

Recipe: Pinxtos lunch

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Every Saturday and Sunday we have more or less the same breakfast. Once in a while I might change it up with pancakes, French Toast or something, but we always have a big breakfast.

Which makes it a bit tricky to come up with a good, but not too big lunch. Because in the evening we usually have a big dinner. First world problems, absolutely. But recently I have come up with some good lunch options like the green tortilla pizza we both love and more recently I’ve made us pinxtos!

It stated with us out on an afternoon walk one weekend and getting hungry on the way back. Popping into a supermarket to buy some lunch I wanted something quick, with no cooking involved and so I raided the deli aisle and grabbed a baguette and got to work.

I personally love pinxtos and although these lack the finesse of some of the pinxtos bars in San Sebastien they are still lovely to eat, either for lunch like we did, or as a weekend starter or light supper. What you choose to top your baguette slices with is up to you, but I highly recommend ham and manchego, and if you have any omelette or frittata leftover that’s great too. A creamy cheese and cucumber is lovely and if you have smoked salmon it’s delicious mixed with mayonnaise.

Pinxtos, serves 2

10 slices fresh baguette

Various toppings such as:

Serrano + manchego

Le Roulé cheese + cucumber

Leftover frittata (heated up)

Bresaola + mayonnaise + crispy onions + tomato

Don’t butter the bread, just add the toppings! Serve straight away.

Recipe: Prawn Sandwich on Butter-Fried Bread

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When I was quarantining in our summer house by the beach in Sweden one of the little pleasures (apart from walks along the beach, Netflix and rediscovering the vinyl collection) was of course the food. I had given mamma a shopping list beforehand so she could order the food and stock up before I got there. One of the things I was longing for (alongside Swedish sweets and my favourite cheese) were prawns in abundance. In my family we’ve had prawns pretty much every single Friday night. My parents still do. In London that feels like a real indulgence as you only buy prawns in small quantities, so I made sure to make myself a proper prawn sandwich while at home.

But with the heating on high, snuggled up under blankets and with warm socks on a cold sandwich wasn’t all that tempting. So I made sure the egg wasn’t fridge cold and cooked it just before assembling the sandwich, AND I fried the bread in butter. Frying bread in butter, if you haven’t tried it, is genius and so delicious I promise you will become obsessed and it was so the right decision for a winter version of my beloved Scandi prawn sandwich!

Prawn sandwich on butter-fried bread, serves 1

1 large egg, boiled to your preference (I like mine runny so I’m a 5-6 minute gal), cooled, peeled and sliced

1 slice of white good quality bread

2 tbsp salted butter

1-2 lettuce leafs such as little gem

plenty (approx 4 tbsp) good quality mayonnaise (i.e. Hellmann’s or homemade)

250-300 g large shell-on cold water prawns, peeled (shell on prawns have more flavour so I prefer to peel my own)

2 slices cucumber

1 slice of lemon

sprig of dill

Fry the bread in butter, 1 tbsp per side, on medium-low heat until golden brown. Drain on kitchen roll. Place the fried bread on a plate and add a thin layer of mayo (to hold the lettuce in place). Place the lettuce on top and then distribute the sliced egg. Top with a very generous amount of mayonnaise. Then place the prawns on top. Decorate with lemon, cucumber and a sprig of dill.

Recipe: Egg Mayonnaise Sandwiches

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Now that we spend so much more time at home than ever before I have started to make more sandwiches, most often for lunch but sometimes for supper too.

And a firm favourite is the egg mayo sarnie. Mainly because I always always have all the ingredients* to hand. So all I need to do is cook the eggs (I like mine runny on the point of jammy which makes the egg mayo so much better!), leave them to cool a little, chop them up and mix with mayo and a few other ingredients.

One ingredient I may not always have at home is chives, but it can be substituted for anything green really; chopped parsley, thinly sliced spring onions, even leeks one of which I tend to always have in the fridge. But if you really can’t find a fitting substitution in your kitchen it’s nice without too.

Egg mayo sandwiches, makes 2

4 slices bread of choice

butter for the bread

3 large eggs

2-3 tbsp good quality mayo (I use Hellmann’s)

1 tsp dijon or English mustard

a generous amount of salt and pepper

a splash of lemon juice

2 tbsp chopped chives

Start by boiling the eggs. Bring water to the boil in a sauce pan and submerge the eggs with a spoon one at a time. Cook for 6 minutes then drain and place the eggs in a bowl of cold water. Refresh with cold water after a minute or so. When the eggs are around room temperature, peel and chop them roughly. Mix mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper, lemon juice and chives in a bowl. Add the eggs, including all the runny yolk that’s spilled onto the cutting board. Mix well and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Butter all the bread slices on one side. Add a generous amount of egg mayo on two of the bread slices. Place the other two bread slices buttered side down to create two sandwiches. Cut in half to serve.

Recipe: Ciabatta Sandwich with Tomato Cream Cheese and Prosciutto

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I completely forgot to share with you my perfect sandwich that I invented on a lovely summer’s day in Norfolk.

As you know I make this tomato cream cheese and pair it with prosciutto or parma ham A LOT, and it just hit me that it would work really well in a sandwich too. But not on boring bread; it had to be a crunchy freshly baked ciabatta. And with the addition of crispy gem lettuce and cucumber slices it feels really fresh even on a hot day, but I could honestly eat this all year round; it’s THAT good.

So without much further ado, let me share with you how I make it! And if you’re not sure what type of ciabatta and tomatoes I mean I have provided links below.

Ciabatta sandwich with tomato cream cheese and prosciutto, serves 2

1 half ciabatta from the supermarket

80 g Philadelphia cream cheese

2 tbsp sunblush tomatoes in oil, finely chopped

salt and pepper

2 slices prosciutto

2 little gem lettuce leaves, washed in cold water and dried

6 cucumber slices

Bake the bread until golden (approx 10 minutes in 180C) and leave to cool. Cut in half and then in half again so you have four pieces, two bottoms and two uppers.

Mix the tomato and cream cheese together in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

On the two bottom halves, spread a generous layer of the tomato cream cheese. Add the lettuce leaves, then the prosciutto slices folded in half. Place the cucumber slices on top of the ham. Spread the upper halves with the tomato cream cheese and place on top like a sandwich. Tuck in!

Recipe: A Classic Croque Monsieur

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Inspired by the best Croque Monsieur I’ve ever had, I wanted to try to make this wonderful dish at home. I miss restaurants a lot right now but the best we can do is to try and recreate our favourites at home or support our local restaurant businesses that offer takeaway. Here in the country there aren’t many restaurants nearby so I donned the apron and set to work.

Most important when making a dish like this is to use the very best ingredients. Crusty sourdough bread, good quality cooked (or lightly smoked) ham and gruyere cheese. And to not skimp on the béchamel sauce. It’s really what makes the sandwich.

This is not a difficult dish to make, but it has a lot of steps, so it’s best to prepare as much as you can in advance: grate the cheese, have the butter ready, make the béchamel sauce. Make sure the oven is hot. A little mise en place goes a long way.

I must confess it didn’t rival The Wolseley’s version, but it came pretty close and that’s good enough for me.

Please note I made this for 3 people but have reworked the recipe to serve 2 to make it easier to scale up and down.

Croque Monsieur, serves 2

4 slices good quality crusty white sourdough bread

2 slices cooked ham

100 g Gruyere cheese, grated

25 g salted butter, at room temperature

For the béchamel:

1 1/2 tbsp butter

1 1/2 tbsp flour

500 ml whole milk

a few drops lemon juice

salt and peppar

Start by making the béchamel sauce. Heat up the milk in a non-stick saucepan on medium heat. In another non-stick saucepan melt the butter on medium heat. Stir in the flour and let it cook, while whisking for a minute or so. Add the warmed milk bit by bit and whisk as the sauce thickens. Season to taste and add a few drops lemon juice. Set aside.

Butter each bread slice on one side and place it face up on a parchment paper lined baking tray. Bake in a 200C oven for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and turn the bread slices around so you have the toasted side face down. Spread on a layer of béchamel sauce on each bread slice. Add grated gruyere on two of the slices, followed by the ham. Add more gruyere and sandwich together béchamel side face down. Add a thicker layer of béchamel on the top of the sandwiches and top with grated gruyere. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Serve with a tangy green salad (little gem with olive oil, red wine vinegar or plenty of lemon juice and a little salt is all you need).

Recipe: Danish Open-Faced Sandwiches Two Ways

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Although the Scandinavian countries are similar on the whole, there are lots of subtle differences. For example, the word for breakfast in Swedish; frukost, means lunch in Danish. Confusing!

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And when it comes to sandwiches, there are differences too! We’re all fairly passionate about good bread and our sandwiches are all open-faced so you get a good  ratio of topping to bread but in Sweden we prefer big sandwiches, like a good prawn sandwich that substitutes as a meal, but the Danish culture is all about smørrebrød; smaller open-faced sandwiches beautifully decorated with a lot of toppings. Most are on Danish rye bread (the dark one with whole kernels) but for some toppings like prawns, a white bread is better.

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My last day in Sweden in the summer we invited some friends over for a late fika before I needed to leave for the airport. I love having an activity planned the last day so it feels more lika a regular day than just a travel day, but at the same time I needed to pack and couldn’t do something too elaborate. So that’s why mamma and I decided on smørrebrød; they’re filling and easy to make, but because they look pretty it really looks like you’ve made an effort (even though you just assembled stuff). Afterwards we had cake and coffee and it was such a lovely afternoon.

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Open-faced sandwich with prawns, per sandwich

½ slice good quality white bread 

butter

1 little gem leaf 

½ boiled egg, sliced

1 tbsp Hellmann’s or homemade mayonnaise

ca 6 large cold water prawns, hand peeled

2 slices cucumber

1 slice lemon

1 sprig dill

Butter the bread and put the lettuce leaf on the bread. Spoon on half of the mayonnaise and place the egg slices on top. Add the rest of the mayo to the eggs and top with the prawns. Arrange the cucumber and lemon slices decoratively and finish with the dill. 

Open-faced sandwich with paté, per sandwich

½ or 1 small slice dark Danish rye bread

butter

1 little gem leaf

1 thick slice brussel’s paté or similar 

½ slice crispy fried bacon or pancetta 

1 tsp crispy onions 

pickled gherkins, sliced

1 tomato wedge

1 parsley sprig

Butter the bread and place the lettuce on the bread. Place the paté on top and add the bacon/pancetta nicely atop the paté, in the middle of the sandwich. On one side of the bacon add the crispy onions and on the other side the gherkins. Top with a tomato wedge and parsley. 

Recipe: mushroom toast with brie and rosemary

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Mushrooms. Is there anything better than mushrooms fried in butter?! With garlic of course. Well, this sourdough toast with both mushrooms and gooey melted brie is certainly a contender.

It’s definitely for the colder parts of the year, but it’s sooo good! The perfect little evening indulgence on a cold and windy day.

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Mushroom toast with brie and rosemary, serves 1

1 slice white sourdough bread

1 tbsp salted butter for frying

6 chestnut mushrooms, sliced

a small handful dried forest mushroom (I had a mixture of black trumpet, porcini and chantarelles)

1 tbsp butter + 1 msk oil for frying

1/2 (or 1 small) garlic clove, finely chopped

1-2 tsp chopped rosemary

1 large slice ripe brie (I used Sainsbury’s Somerset brie which is surprisingly good and ripe) 

Garnish:

1 sprig rosemary

Put the dried mushrooms in a bowl and cover with warm water. Fry the sourdough in butter on medium heat until golden on both sides. Drain on kitchen towel.

Squeeze the excess water out of the no-longer-dry mushrooms. Fry together with the fresh mushrooms in butter and oil on medium-high heat until nicely browned. Add the garlic and rosemary. Fry for a minute or so. Add salt and pepper. 

Place the fried sourdough on a parchment paper covered oven tray. Top with the fried mushrooms and put the slice of brie on top. Place in the top of the oven in 200C, until the cheese has melted, approx 5 mins.  

Plate and garnish with a sprig of rosemary. 

 

Recipe: cheese toastie with Maroilles

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I don’t know if it was because I’d just seen Nigella make a brie, parma ham and fig toastie on her latest TV show or just the fact that I am perpetually in the mood for a cheese toastie, but as it happens two weekends ago, I knew just how I would use the Maroilles cheese a French colleague had given me the same week. In return he got a nice piece of Swedish Herrgård cheese, matured for 18 months. But back to the Maroilles.

When talking to French people, food as a conversation topic is never far away. And that’s how I found out that this Maroilles cheese, from the area of Picardy, is both delicious and probably the smelliest cheese in the world. To me that’s more intriguing than off-putting and I was super excited when I tried it. Similar to Reblochon, it’s a washed rind cheese with a lot of flavour, but it’s much creamier, and dare I say, delicious.

This cheese toastie is utterly simple to make, but very rewarding when you bite into the crisp bread with melted cheese oozing out on the sides.

Maroilles cheese toastie, per toastie

2 slices Poilâne bread

salted butter

2 thick slices of Maroilles cheese

Butter the two Poilane slices on one side. Place the cheese on one of the buttered surfaces and spread them it out so it covers the whole bread slice. Place the other slice of bread on top, buttered side down (i.e. touching the cheese). Press the sandwich together. 

Now, melt a generous knob of butter in a frying pan on medium-high heat (3-4 out of 6) and place the sandwich in the pan. You don’t want the butter to burn so if unsure lower the heat. You want the sandwich to be golden on both sides and the cheese to melt inside so it takes a few minutes on each side.

Fry until golden brown on one side, pressing down with a spatula. Turn the sandwich and fry the other side. Once crisp and golden and the cheese has started to ooze out on the sides remove from pan and place on kitchen roll to remove excess butter. Pat the top of the sandwich with kitchen roll too, then cut into half and serve. Yu-um. 

PS. This is what I love the most about food; it brings people together. My colleague thought the Herrgård was a nice addition to his cheese board, with otherwise only French cheeses I presume, and I got to try a cheese I had never heard of until he boasted about the best produce from his region in France. Merci!