Sandwiches
It is said that the modern day sandwich dates back to 1762 when the 4th Earl of Sandwich, John Montague, requested a meal be made that did not require him to leave the gaming table.
Many cultures have their own version of this tasty treat. Most sandwiches (both hot and cold) are comprised of 3 main ingredients.
1. Bread Products (sliced breads, rolls/croissants/bagels, pitas, tortillas & flatbreads, biscuits etc.)
There are a wide variety of bread options to choose from. Many bread types are prepared using nuts, seeds, herbs and other flavourings have distinctive tastes all their own. When selecting a bread product choose one that will
a) Hold up to the type of filling you have selected.
Sandwich breads should be neither too hard or too soft. Overly crusty bread products are difficult to chew through with fillings. Soft,thinly slice and overly fresh breads are not suitable options for heavy filling as they will likely fall apart while eating..
b) Provide complimentary flavours to the filling
Consider the types of flavours that go well together. Strong bread flavours may not be suitable choices for delicate fillings.
2. Spreads (butter, mustard, mayo, purees etc.)
Spreads provide additional flavour to compliment the sandwich fillings.
Spreads such as butter/margarine and mayonnaise are recommended on fresh bread and rolls as they prevent bread from becoming soggy from moist fillings.
Spreads such as vegetable or bean purees provide additional flavour but may not prevent sogginess happening from other sandwich fillings.
3. Fillings (meat, cheese, egg, legumes, vegetables etc)
Fillings define the type and flavour of the sandwich. Fillings such as meat and cheese and peanut butter and jelly are popular North American options.
There are a variety of ways a sandwich can be made.
1. Closed Sandwich- 2 slices of bread (or a bun or pita pocket) with a filling in between.
e.g.Hot: Grilled Cheese, Cold: Peanut Butter and Jelly
2. Open Faced Sandwich- bread is placed on the plate and is topped by the spread, filling and garnish. E.g Hot Beef with Gravy
3. Stacked Sandwich- layers of bread and filling stacked together to create a larger sandwich e.g. Club House Sandwich
4. Finger Sandwiches- Small, delicate closed sandwiches, usually with the crusts removed and often cut in various bite sized shapes. Often made with a square shaped loaf (Pullman loaf) designed specifically for sandwich making. E.g. Cucumber and Cream Cheese Sandwich. While traditionally, these sandwiches have been made of sliced bread, there are also some ethnic sandwich choices that fit this criteria e.g. sushi/sashimi as well as tortilla pinwheels.
5. Wraps & Flatbreads- this type of sandwich is often rolled, folded or wrapped around the filling Breads such as tortillas, crepes, burek and phyllo doughs are good examples of flatbreads. Hot:Chicken Quesidilla, Cold: Egg salad and Lettuce Wrap
Don’t Forget the Side! Sandwich Accompaniments and Sides
Sandwiches like other entrees, should be garnished or accompanied by complimentary flavours. Examples of accompaniments include pickles/olives, vegetable sticks (carrots, cucumber, radishes etc., fruit slices, potato chips etc).
Many cultures have their own version of this tasty treat. Most sandwiches (both hot and cold) are comprised of 3 main ingredients.
1. Bread Products (sliced breads, rolls/croissants/bagels, pitas, tortillas & flatbreads, biscuits etc.)
There are a wide variety of bread options to choose from. Many bread types are prepared using nuts, seeds, herbs and other flavourings have distinctive tastes all their own. When selecting a bread product choose one that will
a) Hold up to the type of filling you have selected.
Sandwich breads should be neither too hard or too soft. Overly crusty bread products are difficult to chew through with fillings. Soft,thinly slice and overly fresh breads are not suitable options for heavy filling as they will likely fall apart while eating..
b) Provide complimentary flavours to the filling
Consider the types of flavours that go well together. Strong bread flavours may not be suitable choices for delicate fillings.
2. Spreads (butter, mustard, mayo, purees etc.)
Spreads provide additional flavour to compliment the sandwich fillings.
Spreads such as butter/margarine and mayonnaise are recommended on fresh bread and rolls as they prevent bread from becoming soggy from moist fillings.
Spreads such as vegetable or bean purees provide additional flavour but may not prevent sogginess happening from other sandwich fillings.
3. Fillings (meat, cheese, egg, legumes, vegetables etc)
Fillings define the type and flavour of the sandwich. Fillings such as meat and cheese and peanut butter and jelly are popular North American options.
There are a variety of ways a sandwich can be made.
1. Closed Sandwich- 2 slices of bread (or a bun or pita pocket) with a filling in between.
e.g.Hot: Grilled Cheese, Cold: Peanut Butter and Jelly
2. Open Faced Sandwich- bread is placed on the plate and is topped by the spread, filling and garnish. E.g Hot Beef with Gravy
3. Stacked Sandwich- layers of bread and filling stacked together to create a larger sandwich e.g. Club House Sandwich
4. Finger Sandwiches- Small, delicate closed sandwiches, usually with the crusts removed and often cut in various bite sized shapes. Often made with a square shaped loaf (Pullman loaf) designed specifically for sandwich making. E.g. Cucumber and Cream Cheese Sandwich. While traditionally, these sandwiches have been made of sliced bread, there are also some ethnic sandwich choices that fit this criteria e.g. sushi/sashimi as well as tortilla pinwheels.
5. Wraps & Flatbreads- this type of sandwich is often rolled, folded or wrapped around the filling Breads such as tortillas, crepes, burek and phyllo doughs are good examples of flatbreads. Hot:Chicken Quesidilla, Cold: Egg salad and Lettuce Wrap
Don’t Forget the Side! Sandwich Accompaniments and Sides
Sandwiches like other entrees, should be garnished or accompanied by complimentary flavours. Examples of accompaniments include pickles/olives, vegetable sticks (carrots, cucumber, radishes etc., fruit slices, potato chips etc).