At this time of year, people are always asking me for fresh new ideas they can use to make their outdoor cooking more interesting. Enough weeks have passed since the start of summer that they've grown tired of the same old hamburgers, hot dogs, steaks, chicken breasts, and fish fillets.
So I tell them to grill a BLT sandwich.
When you mention a sandwich off the grill, almost everyone instantly pictures a burger or dog and stop at that. But the same qualities that we all love about those standards, their juicy meat and smoky-tasting exteriors, also make other sandwich fillings - including steak, boneless chicken, and seafood - extra delicious when grilled.
Which brings me back to the story of that bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich.
When we first opened Postrio restaurant in San Francisco back in 1989, we had no sandwiches on the menu, because at the time I didn't think they were appropriate for such an upscale dining setting. But our guests kept asking me why, so I began to reconsider.
I knew how popular shrimp dishes were there. We featured them in many pastas and main-course salads. So we began to think about translating elements from some of our most popular shrimp pastas and salads into a sandwich format. We took a few slices of good San Francisco sourdough bread, piled on some baby lettuces, sliced sun-ripened tomato, and crispy smoked bacon. Then we added some quickly grilled shrimp. The result, we realized, had all the appeal of a classic BLT, with the addition of sweet, succulent, smoky grilled shrimp. And along with the mayonnaise that usually makes a BLT taste extra moist and rich, we added a quickly made lemon butter sauce, the perfect complement for the shrimp.
Summer is the perfect time to make this sandwich. You'll find the best tomatoes, firm yet juicy and full of sweet-tart flavor. Of course your grill will be out, ready to fire up and cook the shrimp. (If you like, you can even toast the bread on the grill before you cook the shrimp.)
But even after summer's grilling season has gone, you can still make this sandwich easily.
A two-sided electric countertop grill can be used to prepare the shrimp in half the time, since it cooks them on both sides at once. Widely available fresh Italian-style plum (Roma) tomatoes are generally reliable enough to use at any time of year. And as long as you use a good quality bacon (I like the Applewood-smoked variety), you'll get enough good smoky flavor in every bite.)
So, even in deepest winter, I hope you'll try this recipe and let it bring you a bright taste of summer.
Preheat an outdoor or indoor grill.
Meanwhile, make the Lemon Butter Sauce. In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and saute until they start to turn opaque without browning, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and vinegar, raise the heat, and simmer until the liquid reduces slightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the cream, bring back to a brisk simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced by half, 7 to 10 minutes. A few pieces at a time, whisk in the butter. Pour the sauce through a sieve into a clean pan. Season the sauce with lemon juice and salt and white pepper to taste. Cover and keep warm.
For the sandwiches, peel and devein the shrimp, removing their tail fins as well. Toss the shrimp with the vegetable oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. If you like, toast the bread on the grill, no more than about 1 minute per side, taking care not to burn it. Grill the shrimp until they turn pink, opaque, and plump, about 1 1/2 minutes per side, taking care not to overcook them. Cut each shrimp in half lengthwise. Put the shrimp in the reserved warm lemon butter sauce.
For each sandwich, spread a little mayonnaise on one slice of bread and arrange some lettuce on top. Top with three slices of tomato and season with a little salt and pepper and then arrange bacon strips on top of the tomatoes. Top with the second slice of bread, spread it with a thin layer of mayonnaise, and then add some more lettuce. Neatly arrange a quarter of the shrimp in lemon butter neatly on top of the bed of lettuce. Top with the third slice of bread. If you like, secure the sandwich with a couple of toothpicks. Repeat to make the remaining sandwiches.
Serve immediately, cutting each sandwich diagonally in half with a sharp knife.
At this time of year, people are always asking me for fresh new ideas they can use to make their outdoor cooking more interesting. Enough weeks have passed since the start of summer that they've grown tired of the same old hamburgers, hot dogs, steaks, chicken breasts, and fish fillets.
So I tell them to grill a BLT sandwich.
When you mention a sandwich off the grill, almost everyone instantly pictures a burger or dog and stop at that. But the same qualities that we all love about those standards, their juicy meat and smoky-tasting exteriors, also make other sandwich fillings - including steak, boneless chicken, and seafood - extra delicious when grilled.
Which brings me back to the story of that bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich.
When we first opened Postrio restaurant in San Francisco back in 1989, we had no sandwiches on the menu, because at the time I didn't think they were appropriate for such an upscale dining setting. But our guests kept asking me why, so I began to reconsider.
I knew how popular shrimp dishes were there. We featured them in many pastas and main-course salads. So we began to think about translating elements from some of our most popular shrimp pastas and salads into a sandwich format. We took a few slices of good San Francisco sourdough bread, piled on some baby lettuces, sliced sun-ripened tomato, and crispy smoked bacon. Then we added some quickly grilled shrimp. The result, we realized, had all the appeal of a classic BLT, with the addition of sweet, succulent, smoky grilled shrimp. And along with the mayonnaise that usually makes a BLT taste extra moist and rich, we added a quickly made lemon butter sauce, the perfect complement for the shrimp.
Summer is the perfect time to make this sandwich. You'll find the best tomatoes, firm yet juicy and full of sweet-tart flavor. Of course your grill will be out, ready to fire up and cook the shrimp. (If you like, you can even toast the bread on the grill before you cook the shrimp.)
But even after summer's grilling season has gone, you can still make this sandwich easily.
A two-sided electric countertop grill can be used to prepare the shrimp in half the time, since it cooks them on both sides at once. Widely available fresh Italian-style plum (Roma) tomatoes are generally reliable enough to use at any time of year. And as long as you use a good quality bacon (I like the Applewood-smoked variety), you'll get enough good smoky flavor in every bite.)
So, even in deepest winter, I hope you'll try this recipe and let it bring you a bright taste of summer.
Preheat an outdoor or indoor grill.
Meanwhile, make the Lemon Butter Sauce. In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and saute until they start to turn opaque without browning, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and vinegar, raise the heat, and simmer until the liquid reduces slightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the cream, bring back to a brisk simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced by half, 7 to 10 minutes. A few pieces at a time, whisk in the butter. Pour the sauce through a sieve into a clean pan. Season the sauce with lemon juice and salt and white pepper to taste. Cover and keep warm.
For the sandwiches, peel and devein the shrimp, removing their tail fins as well. Toss the shrimp with the vegetable oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. If you like, toast the bread on the grill, no more than about 1 minute per side, taking care not to burn it. Grill the shrimp until they turn pink, opaque, and plump, about 1 1/2 minutes per side, taking care not to overcook them. Cut each shrimp in half lengthwise. Put the shrimp in the reserved warm lemon butter sauce.
For each sandwich, spread a little mayonnaise on one slice of bread and arrange some lettuce on top. Top with three slices of tomato and season with a little salt and pepper and then arrange bacon strips on top of the tomatoes. Top with the second slice of bread, spread it with a thin layer of mayonnaise, and then add some more lettuce. Neatly arrange a quarter of the shrimp in lemon butter neatly on top of the bed of lettuce. Top with the third slice of bread. If you like, secure the sandwich with a couple of toothpicks. Repeat to make the remaining sandwiches.
Serve immediately, cutting each sandwich diagonally in half with a sharp knife.
