Sandwiches

     I was innocently asked the other day whilst at work what my favourite sandwich was. I was asked via text, and my initial reply was, I need time to think, I'll get back to you.

     Several hours later I sent a reply. The reply took several texts and went in to some detail so I thought I would share:

1.     In first place, by some way due to it's rarity is a roast chicken sandwich. You may scoff at this being a rare event, but the circumstances have to be exactly right for the sandwich to be perfect. Firstly, the bread has to be some kind of soft wholemeal, a polish bloomer would be perfect. Each slice of bread needs to be evenly coated with room temperature butter. Not Clover or I Can't Believe it's Not Butter or Flora, but proper real butter. Now for the chicken. About six hours prior to wanting your sandwich you need to take a whole raw chicken, shove a lemon up its bum, smother it in butter, salt and pepper generously, place on a roasting tray and bung in the oven on a medium high heat until cooked. Now feel free to use some of this chicken for a roast dinner or something, but come tea time the leftovers are going on that bread. And for all you health and safety freaks, yes I have left the chicken carcass out on the side, but I have covered it in tin foil and put it out of reach of the dog. So place some chicken breast and thigh meat on one slice of bread, season, and on the other slice of bread all you need is a thin scraping of mayonnaise on top of the butter. Put this on top of the chicken, cut in quarters  - yes I'm 35 and still quarter my sandwiches, you want to make something of it? And ta dah! Perfect. Now I know there will be weirdo's out there who are muttering about shredded iceberg lettuce or slices of tomato but NO, not required.
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL SHOP BOUGHT ROAST CHICKEN BE ACCEPTABLE.

2.     This was my lunch every day for about a year. (I have been described as somewhat faddy when it comes to food.) Smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel. Again, there are some tiny rules to this sandwich. The bagel can only be a multi seeded one, it gets cut in half and each half gets a good coating of full fat cream cheese. then on one half there needs to be some thinly sliced cucumber, and a pile of watercress. Then thin stripes of smoked salmon on top of this with a squeeze of fresh lemon and lots of black pepper. The other half of cream cheesed bagel goes on top and there you have it.

3.     Tuna, sweetcorn and mayonnaise. The proportions never vary. For one tin of tuna (well drained and placed in a bowl) you need half a small tin of Green Giant sweetcorn. I am yet to find any tinned sweetcorn as nice. Then a good few tablespoons of mayonnaise - full fat of course and stir well. The ingredient that makes this is a good shake of malt vinegar, mix again and taste. It will be perfect. This filling should go on a granary seeded bread that has been evenly buttered. They have to be cut into triangle quarters.

I especially love a travelled sandwich. Any of the above wrapped in cling film and left on my desk at work all morning makes them extra delicious.

Now it turns out the reason I was asked what was my favourite sandwich was because my other half wanted to suprise me by making a picnic for us. When he finally got my reply, the roast chicken was way too much of a challenge, but I did get some very excellent smoked salmon and cream cheese bagels, along with little nibbley pastries and a cream cake.  

Having re read the above, it would appear that:

a) I have an extreme dislike of low fat foods.
b) I am a sandwich nazi. 
c) I have far too much time on my hands at work.