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BLTs with Avocado and Pesto Mayonnaise

Source of Recipe

From "The Red Truck Bakery Farmhouse Cookbook" by Brian Noyes


Recipe Introduction

"There isn't much that gets me more fired up at the peak of summer than crafting and eating a proper bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich. I've made hundreds and, well, I know what I like (and what I don't like). Terri Lehman at the much-missed Epicurious Cow in Rappahannock County, not far from the original Warrenton bakery location, showed me the value of adding avocado (it became a BLAT) and a little bit of chipotle peppers to the mayo (always Duke's). I do that on occasion, although pesto is more often my go-to swipe on the bottom slice of bread. Big puffy leaves of Bibb lettuce finish it off. I don't bend on one important component: I insist on Allan Benton's smoked bacon from Madisonville, Tennessee. And the tomato? Make sure it's fresh from a farmer or your garden. Aim for a big, fat heirloom variety (grab some Cherokee Purples if you find them) and slice them thick. I feel a bit sheepish to mention this, but I like to add just a couple drops of ketchup to the tomato slices before adding the bacon. You okay with that? As for the bread, nothing beats our focaccia, especially when you grill it in a stovetop grill pan, but you can simply toast the bread if you prefer. Wipe your chin."

List of Ingredients

◦ 1 plain focaccia loaf, 4 ciabatta rolls, or 8 hefty country bread slices (see Note)
◦ 12 thick slices best-quality smoky bacon
◦ 3 or 4 large ripe heirloom tomatoes, such as Cherokee Purple or beefsteak, or enough for 8 thick slices
◦ Kosher salt (optional)
◦ � cup mayonnaise, plus more as needed
◦ � cup pesto, homemade or store-bought
◦ Lettuce leaves, such as Bibb, or other greens
◦ Ketchup (optional)
◦ � ripe avocado, cut lengthwise into 4 slices


Recipe

Slice the focaccia into quarters and halve each slice horizontally. Spray a stovetop grill pan with vegetable oil spray and heat it over medium heat. Add the focaccia, cut-side down, to the pan and grill until crisp and slightly charred, about 4 minutes. Set aside.

Wrap the bacon in paper towels, put it on a microwave-safe dinner plate, and microwave until the bacon is crispy, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool slightly and then pat the bacon with fresh paper towels to soak up any excess grease.

Thickly slice the tomatoes. Season with salt, if desired. Use your finger to poke out the juices and the gel inside each slice. Set the slices on paper towels and use additional paper towels to blot the tomatoes dry.

To assemble the sandwiches, arrange the bottom pieces of focaccia in a row in front of you, grilled-sides up. Line the tops in the row above them, grilled-sides up. Smear a good amount of mayonnaise on each piece (use more on the bottoms than the tops). Divide the pesto among the four sandwich bottoms and smear it into the mayo. Add lettuce to each bottom half, then overlap two tomato slices on each portion of lettuce. Top the tomato with some ketchup, if desired. Add an avocado slice on each half, then add three bacon slices (folding over or tearing the bacon as needed to fit).

Place the top pieces of focaccia, grilled-sides down, and dig in.

Serves 4







❧ Note:
If you're using ciabatta rolls, halve each roll crosswise and toast or grill the inside of each half in the grill pan. If you're using country bread, simply toast each slice.