Super Sandwiches

@1humblepalateI put everything in between bread.

Anything and everything.

If a sandwich is not bursting at the seams, is it even truly a great sandwich? It has to be big, messy but ultra delicious, and the combination of ingredients has to be just right.

I have a few spots around town that make my favourites, very few. Top of the list has to be the Cuban (pulled pork brilliance toasted in a Portuguese roll) from Fork ‘n Nice at Swakopmund and the Monte Cristo (chicken strips, ham and cheese in French toast… yum!) from Jonno’s Bistro. There is also this seemingly unassuming but striking ham, bacon and cheese sandwich I always get at the Bean Tree Café at Spar in Windhoek’s Grove Mall. Makes my ‘food heart’ smile.

The secret to making a great sandwich lies in three things. The bread (the sandwicher), the filling/ingredients (the sandwichee) and the condiments (the in-betweeners).

Getting the freshest bread always makes the difference, but do not limit yourself to two slices of white bread for a sandwich. They do have their place, but sometimes you’re missing out on that little bit extra, which you can get by changing it up.

Try rolls, baguettes (a big thing for me as seen in my boerewors, ham and salami sandwich), brown rolls, French toast, pancake sandwiches, four slices of whole-grain bread, big brown mushrooms, buns – the list truly is endless. Fresh is always best.

What’s in between great bread or a fresh roll should be equally as good. The unpretentious PB n J (peanut butter and jam) sandwich rocks, so does a French toast sandwich filled with jalapeño chicken mayo.

I have my favourite fillings: cheese, ham, bacon, egg, lettuce, peppers, salami, chicken, onion, mushrooms, sweet piquanté peppers and pulled pork. The day I make a sandwich with all of that will be a great, great day indeed.

So when you make your sandwich, make sure you have the best, and don’t be afraid to mix and match as you go along.

Almost every sandwich I make has mayonnaise, because mayo is just awesome, especially considering the things you can do to it.

Mayo is not just mayo. It’s a blank canvas for your imagination.

Chop some pickles and add to it, or add some hot sauce for a chili mayo, a drop of honey for a slightly sweeter option to balance fiery fillings, of just some black pepper and a few mixed herbs to give it that refreshing pepper-herb hit.

Yes, you’re welcome.

If you are one of those ‘other’ people, you can add ketchup – just don’t offer that sandwich to me.

– @1humblepalate is a food experience blog dedicated to contemporary Namibian cuisine.

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