Happy Sunday!
After a stressful week at work, trying to pretend you enjoy snacking on nuts and dried fruit, weekends mark the beginning of two days of letting my culinary hair down. I make all those oil- heavy, butter-laden, mouthwateringly good concoctions that seem simply too devilish for Monday to Friday.
This Sunday has seen the advent of the BEST SUNDAY BRUNCH EVER. No word of a lie, the best sandwich to ever enter the hallowed halls of my mouth.
Inspired by a trip to Trip, the Haggerston-based culinary exploration which allows Selin Kiazim to express her Turkish Cypriot roots, my brunch time revelation is…
Crisp bacon sandwich with medjool date jam.
Are you scared? You shouldn’t be. For anyone who has ever tried the US favourite of bacon and maple syrup (even if you thought it wasn’t quite right), or anyone who enjoys a salted caramel chocolate, this is going to blow your mind.
This is basically devils on horseback, in a sandwich, in your mouth. What could be better? Ideal with a plain, open Turkish flatbread. Enjoy your weekend!
Pancetta sandwich with medjool date jam
Ingredients
Flatbread
Pancetta
4-5 Medjool dates
Lemon juice
Put your dates in a small bowl, and just cover with boiling water. Leave for at least 10 minutes, ideally 20-30.
Once soaked, take your dates out of the water, reserving this. Put into the food processor with a squeeze of lemon juice. If they are struggling to bind when whizzed, add a dash of the soaking water, until you have the texture of a chunky spread. If your oven is warm, place in there to get the jam nice and spreadable (but it doesn’t matter too much if it is cold).
Once your jam is ready, fry off your pancetta or streaky bacon until nice and crispy. Cut your flatbread and put the open sides onto the grill for a couple of minutes to absorb those naughty juices, and get a nice griddle mark. Spread one side with jam, layer on your bacon, and there you have it. Arguably the best brunch ever tasted by humankind. If you have a go at this, let me know what you think! X
