Kaplan - Open Faced: Single-Slice Sandwiches from Around the World

Open Faced

Single-Slice Sandwiches from Around the World

Karen Kaplan

Photographs by Heidi Marie Wagstaff

Open Faced

Single-Slice Sandwiches from Around the World

Digital Edition 1.0

Text 2017 Karen Kaplan

Photographs 2017 Heidi Marie Wagstaff

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any means whatsoever without written permission from the publisher, except brief portions quoted for purpose of review.

Gibbs Smith

P.O. Box 667

Layton, Utah 84041

Orders: 1.800.835.4993

www.gibbs-smith.com

ISBN: 978-1-4236-4744-7

To my parents, Leanore and Arthur Saltz,

sans vous, rien.

Thank you for everything.

I love open-faced sandwiches. They are one of my favorite forms of sustenanceso seductively elemental and essential. While I appreciate Michelin-starred haute cuisine, bistro and trattoria classics, modern gastronomy, food truck fusion, foraged whateverthe list could go onI absolutely adore a good piece of bread topped with something tasty. The tartines of France, the bruschette and crostini of Italy, the montaditos and pa amb of Spain, the smrrebrd of Denmark, the butterbrote of Germany, the molletes of Mexico, and the toasts of America, Britain, and beyondthese are dishes that have always called to me and will always have places of honor in my culinary memory box and nostalgia file.

Today, open-faced sandwiches in all of their chef-driven, cutting-edge interpretations are the ne plus ultra of casual-chic comfort food. They are having a moment, and that moment is not going to be over any time soon, if ever. But lets get real: Open-faced sandwiches have long been part of the culinary landscapes of many countries across the globe. They speak plainly yet eloquently of their provenancepainting a picture, telling a story, and giving a history lesson in several delicious bites. They are so fundamental and popular in some countries that they constitute their own culinary category. And it is certainly easy to understand why.

Whether the sandwich is a slab of country bread grilled over an open fire, rubbed with garlic and ripe tomato, drizzled with olive oil, and sprinkled with coarse salt; or a diminutive square of pliable light rye spread with dill and lemon butter and draped with smoked salmon; or a piece of pumpernickel piled high with chopped liver, dotted with sauted onions and hard-cooked eggs, it is sure to be eaten with gusto and appreciation. That is because very few among us can resist the undeniable pleasure and deep satisfaction that is derived from consuming an open-faced sandwich, no matter how simple or sophisticated it may be. No doubt that accounts for the longstanding adoration of these items in the countries of their origin and for their newfound prevalence in restaurants, cafs, and home kitchens.

The open-faced sandwich has been with us since the late Middle Ages, when a thick slab of coarse bread, called a tranche in French, or a trencher in English, was used as a plate. When the meal was over, the diner would either eat the food-soaked slice if his hunger had not been satiated, or he would give it away. It is not surprising, then, that the trencher was considered the precursor to the open-faced sandwich, not to mention tableware. While the function of the open-faced sandwich has obviously changed since the Middle Ages, the form has not. It is still, at heart, a utilitarian dishone that uses bread as a vehicle to transport other ingredients from the plate to the mouth, either with or without cutlery.

But whether eaten out of hand or sliced into dainty bits, this user-friendly treat is a godsend because it is a cinch to prepare, requiring a minimum of effort and a modicum of cooking. It can be put together with the most basic of ingredients from the refrigerator, pantry, or garden, and delivers maximum payoff in terms of flavor and enjoyment. It can be dressed up or dressed down, classic or creative, and can be served for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, supper, or a snack. Its versatility is truly amazing, and its lusciousness cannot be deniednot to mention it is the apogee of dinner party appetizers. All thats needed to start is some good bread.

In this book I will bring the open-faced sandwiches from several countries into the home kitchen. Some of my recipes are traditional, some are reinterpretations of classics, and some are original creations based on the flavors, ingredients, and/or specialties associated with the country at hand. Each recipe reflects the taste and spirit of its place of origin, yet is perfectly translated for the way we cook and eat in America today. This is the food I love, and I hope you will love it as much as I do. As I always say, everything tastes better on bread!

There are many variables in cooking, so I encourage you to look upon my recipes as flexible rather than rigid entities, and bring your common sense and personal palate into the kitchen. I want you to feel inspired, not straightjacketed.

Lots of things affect the result of a recipe: the size and thickness of a pot, pan, or skillet; the accuracy of the oven temperature; the intensity of the heat of a grill, burner, or cooktop; the way you cut something; and even your own individual taste buds. So when I tell you to cook an onion over medium heat until it is softened, and that it will take about 10 minutes to do so, please keep in mind that your skillet and your stove are probably different from mine, or those of the tester, so the time is approximate. If your onion is softened at 8 minutes, you are done; if your onion needs more than 10 minutes, well, cook it more. If I tell you to season something generously with salt and pepper, and you dont like a lot of salt and pepper, then season it lightly with salt and pepper. If I tell you to add hot sauce, and you hate hot sauce, dont add it. At the end of the day, it's up to you. And remember to taste as you go. If I call for the juice of 1 lemon, but you want more, add more!

In addition, since everything in this book is served on bread, and bread slices vary in size, you may end up having more topping than bread or more bread than topping. If that happens, not to worry: just make an extra sandwich or pile more topping on each bread slice. If you want to use a different bread from the one I call for, thats cool; if you want to use gluten-free bread, thats dandy, too; and if you don't want to use bread at all, thats just finecrackers or just a plate will work well for many of these recipes. If I call for the bread to be toasted but you dont want it toasted, dont toast it, and vice versa.

At this point it goes without saying, but I will say it anyway: the better the ingredients that go into a recipe, the better the outcome. So always try to use the best ingredients you can find and afford. But dont make yourself crazy. Sometimes whatever you have on hand is completely acceptable. I dont call for too many exotic ingredients in this book, but whenever I do, I offer substitutes, so none of these recipes should be out of reach to anyone. And if you need to cut a recipe in half, or double or triple it, thats fine too.