Last week we discussed three of the greatest sandwiches ever devised; cheese and pickle, cheese and tomato and roast beef and brie. Simple, elegant and full of flavour, they represent the very best achievements of the sandwich-maker's art but if you are not a fan of rotted bovine lactation (or cheese, as it is otherwise known - definition courtesy of Sir T. Pratchett in his excellent book Thief of Time) then they probably don't excite you to any great extent.
So if cheese isn't your thing (and, believe it or not, there are people in this milk-product infested world who don't enjoy the tast of a fine wheel of mature Cheddar), where should you turn for sandwich-based culinary delights? Read on, dear friend, read on.
Let us start gently with the flavours and fillings of our childhood; sweet spread-filled sandwiches, normally on cheap white sliced bread. Jam, preserves, honey, lemon curd and other spreads undoubtedly make fine distractions for the under-twelves and students coping with a late night drinking binges but they aren't really suitable for consumption in sandwiches by anyone who cares about these things (although they do make fine ingredients in a host of other dishes, of course). We can set them aside and ignore them.
With that out of the way, our next inductee into the sandwich hall of fame is Tuna, Mayo and Cucumber. Made well, this filling delivers solid flavour with a good crunchy texture. I favour line-caught rather than netted fish - it just seems right in these times of human-induced species extinction to minimise the impact our sandwiches have on other marine life - but I normally settle for traditionally farmed rather than hooked cucumbers. Ho ho.
In this great year of Jubilee and Olympic celebration, no list would be complete without Coronation Chicken. Originally conceived as a cold dish in its own right, coronation chicken makes an excellent sandwich spread and needs no ornamentation except what might be afforded by a fine roll or loaf of bread.
Veering away from the mainstream, how do you like the sound of Roast Chicken and Bread Sauce? Sprinkle a little salt on the chicken (thick sliced breast is best), smear a good dollop of bread sauce on the bread (bread as a filling? Yes, it really works) and you have a great post-roast snack or lunch. Tasty, with just a hint of cloves to compliment the chicken.
Finally, I'd like to suggest a sandwich that lurks on the fringes of civilisation, one that I enjoy but that many, probably, will not: Corned Beef and Tomato Sauce. I know, it sounds strange and unearthly, possibly even downright distasteful, but thinly sliced corned beef (the secret is to chill the can before slicing and to clean the knife after every cut) with a tangy tomato sauce actually works surprisingly well.
In all this I've said hardly a word about bread. It's important, of course, but it's a subject for another day. Cheers.
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