Yes, it’s easy to fall into a sandwich making
(and eating) rut; we can all use a little
inspiration from time to time. Here are my
top tips for creating a delicious off ering:
The bread – OK, when I say sandwich, I really
mean any kind of bread with a fi lling. The bread is
the palette on which you can start creating your
own sandwich magic. There are a multitude of
styles to choose from, but the key is freshness. Funk
it up a little with a piadina (pan toasted wrap) or a
chewy sourdough, or use a pitta bread or a crunchy
French baguette. The ingredients will determine the
type, fi rmness and thickness of bread you need.
If you can bake your own bread, you will be on
a winner. It’s hard to beat the aroma and just out
of the oven crunchiness of freshly baked bread.
Otherwise, there are more and more local artisan
bakeries specialising in breads with great texture
and character.
The fi lling – whether it’s a wrap or something
more traditional, it’s a good idea to limit the
number of fi llings so the fl avours don’t get too
muddled. A good rule of thumb is four or fi ve
fi llings. Of course, its no good having gone to
the trouble of sourcing great bread if the fi llings
aren’t up to the task. There are several companies
providing creative sandwich fi llings: the Pronto
Pollo classic mix is a blend of oven roasted chicken
breast, whole egg mayonnaise, fresh herbs and
spices – simple and delicious. Also, don’t forget
your vegetarian customer – a good salad selection
is a start. I had a roast eggplant, garden herb cream
cheese, hommus and tabouleh pitta recently that
was perfect.
The combination – this is easier than you think.
The more combinations I try, the more I like. Just
keep it simple and rely on the quality of the ingredients
rather than the quantity; too many fi llings
can make a sandwich unmanageable. Build your
sandwich in the following way: the bread, butter if
necessary (margarine has no place on a sandwich),
relish, protein, vegetables, soft salad, then bread.
Use ingredients like shredded carrot to anchor
other ingredients like beetroot into the sandwich.
Also, if tomato is in the sandwich and the customer
wants salt, it goes magically on the tomato!
Heat – especially in winter, a toasted sandwich
or roll is a treat. It brings out the fl avour and
sends all the right signals to the brain. I think a
great addition to any café or sandwich bar is a hot
plate where you can heat and sear beef, lamb and
chicken before they go into the bread (or for that
matter, on a salad). Pronto Pollo has a great range
of cooked beef and lamb strips ready for caramelizing
on the hotplate. One of the best sandwiches
I’ve ever had was simply a toasted Turkish bread roll
with hot roast beef, mixed green leaves and horseradish
cream … piping hot, delicious and seared into
the memory.
The relish – this is the key. The relish will elevate
your off ering from simple to sublime. A gourmet
mayo, spicy fruit chutney or pickle, a minted yoghurt,
a mustard, a salsa, an olive paste – the relish
adds the juice, sublime wetness and fl avour that
your sandwich needs. Next time you are creating
something, try a boldly fl avoured spread and you
won’t go too far wrong. Mixing a strong fl avour
like chilli jam or basil pesto to cream cheese works
really well too.
Use good ingredients, combine them with
thought and care, and present them beautifully.
A tip I picked up recently is if the customer wants
their sandwich cut in half, wrap the halves separately.
They will keep and present better.
Of course, a sandwich that’s made with love
and served with a smile will excite your customers
and bring them back for more. Happy sandwich
making…
A Cuban sandwich is a variation of a ham and cheese sandwich originally created by Cuban
workers, either in Cuba or in the immigrant community of Ybor, a city in Tampa Florida.
Cuban Pressed Sandwich
1 crusty bread roll
2 tbs whole egg mayonnaise
80 grams Mojo pork (slow
cooked shredded pork shoulder
– can be sourced from Pronto
Pollo)
1 slice quality ham
1 slice Swiss cheese
1 sliced dill pickle
2 slices tomato
Ingredients.
To assemble: Coat both sides of the bread roll
with the mayonnaise, then add the Mojo pork, ham,
Swiss cheese, dill pickles, sliced tomato and toast in a
sandwich press.
Saxon Joye Pronto Pollo Pty Ltd ph (02) 9519 3314 webwww.prontopollo.com.au