Recipe: A sophisticated club sandwich
As a genre, "club sandwiches" came from the social clubs of the 19th century. Blogger Barry Enderwick, of Sandwiches of History, offers "Sunday Morning" viewers this recipe for a club sandwich that, he says, shouldn't work, but actually does, really well! He writes:
"Using the word 'sophisticated' in a club sandwich name is a loaded proposition. After all, it suggests that there are going to be some pretty schmancy ingredients involved. One might expect caviar, for example. Yeah, this isn't that.
"When you look at the list of ingredients, if you're like me, you'll think that there is no way this is going to work. I mean, ham, peanut butter, American cheese, coconut, avocado – this sounds bonkers, but trust me, it works. The nuttiness of the peanut butter plays as well with the sweet elements like pineapple and coconut as it does with the savory ones like ham and bacon. You must give this one a go.
"If you can't (or don't want to) get American cheese from the deli, use a mild cheddar instead."
The Sophisticated Club Sandwich
Adapted from "Good Housekeeping's Book of Bread and Sandwiches" (1958)
Ingredients:
4 slices white sandwich bread
Unsalted butter, softened
1 slice American cheese from the deli
1 thin slice baked ham
1 large, canned pineapple slice, drained
2 Tablespoons (32 g) smooth peanut butter
2 Tablespoons (8 g) flaked, unsweetened coconut
3 slices crisp bacon
1 thin slice tomato
Salt and pepper
1½-inch (3-cm) thick slice avocado
Instructions:
In a toaster oven or toaster, toast the bread slices to a light golden brown.
Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread. On one slice of toast, buttered-side up, place the American cheese, ham, then pineapple. Top with a second slice of toast, buttered-side down, and spread peanut butter on top. Sprinkle on the unsweetened coconut.
Top with a third slice of toast and add the bacon and tomato. Season with a little salt and pepper, and then add the avocado. Top with final slice of toast, buttered-side down. Take a sec to marvel at what you have made, then slice diagonally and dig in.
Plus Ups
Chipotle Powder
If you've been following Sandwiches of History for any length of time, you've likely seen chipotle powder used as a "plus up" on multiple occasions. I just love the smoky heat that this stuff brings. And it gets to show off how it works with both the sweet and the savory elements in a sandwich.
If you wanted a milder route, try ancho chile powder. It won't have the smokiness and will have more of a raisiny flavor, but it will still bridge the sweet/savory divide.
From "Sandwiches of History: The Cookbook" by Barry W. Enderwick, published by Harvard Common Press. Reprinted with permission.
For more info:
- "Sandwiches of History: The Cookbook – All the Best (and Most Surprising) Things People Have Put Between Slices of Bread" by Barry W. Enderwick (Harvard Common Press), in Hardcover and eBook formats, available via Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Bookshop.org
- Sandwiches of History (blog)
Check out the "Sunday Morning" 2024 "Food Issue" recipe index
