In the Netherlands, ‘Koffie verkeerd’ is a latte made with 2/3 hot milk and 1/3 coffee. So it’s coffee “the wrong way”, the German equivalent is the word “verkehrt” and it can mean the same as “umgekehrt”, which translates to “the other way round”. And that’s what we’re doing today with a bacon sandwich.
This blog is mainly for the NextGens, and they need recipes for sandwiches.
A sandwich is not really a recipe, but rather a construction: two slices of bread with something in between that binds them together and something that holds them apart. Fat and acidity. Soft and crunchy. Something warm that might melt, and something cold for contrast.
The inside-out bacon sandwich follows this structure, only swapping the order of the ingredients. The bread becomes the filling and the bacon is on the outside. With a little skill, you could also make an inside-out BLT.
This requires the best bread, which in our case is a classic wholemeal sourdough loaf with a beautiful crust. The second essential ingredient is thin, fatty strips of bacon.
What goes in between is left to the imagination. We opt for soft cheese (Camembert), pickled gherkins, pickled pearl onions, and capers. Mustard, salt, pepper and a little spice in the form of cayenne or chilli always go well with this. These are just suggestions, but it is worthwhile bearing in mind that acidity is important for a harmonious taste experience.
We cut slices of bread of a pleasant thickness into strips 4 cm wide. If they were any wider, they would be difficult to wrap. Then we top two pieces of roughly equal size with cheese, pickles and spices (see picture at bottom and centre). Then we fold them together and wrap them with a strip of bacon. We pull and stretch the bacon a little, without tearing it, to tie a compact parcel.
The bacon sandwiches are baked in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius on baking paper or a baking mat until they are crispy on the outside. Depending on the oven, this takes 15–20 minutes. During this time, the filling melts and binds together a little.
This tastes delicious hot or warm and can also be prepared in advance and quickly reheated in a very hot oven just before serving. It’s also a great snack for a party or a flying buffet.
Enjoy.
And may the taste be with you.
