I was craving a BLT yesterday, but as we all know, tomatoes are far out of season in the depths of a Minnesota winter. Not ready to give up on the idea of a hearty bacon sandwich, I started thinking a bacon and egg salad sandwich could be pretty delicious. Even killicious, especially with my favorite tangy-salty egg salad with lemon and anchovies.
I layered in spicy arugula to set off the eggs—plus bacon—and tied it all together with a little tomato-sauce nod to everyone’s summer favorite. Piled into buttery, grilled bread, this rich, messy sandwich stands up nicely to a cold beer.
Egg Salad, Bacon & Arugula Sandwich
Makes 4 sandwiches
Note: Have the egg salad, arugula, and tomato sauce ready to go so that you can achieve assembling the sandwich with hot toast and bacon.
8 slices thick-cut bacon
arugula
8 1/2-inch slices hearty bread, buttered on one side
mayonnaise (optional)
egg salad (recipe below)
tomato sauce (recipe below)
Cook bacon until crisp. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, grill bread buttered side down until golden brown. Divide bread among four plates, toasted side down, and build the sandwiches: Spread the inside of bread slices lightly with mayonnaise (if using), then arrange with arugula slices, drizzle with tomato sauce, top with bacon slices, and then egg salad. Serve immediately.
Egg Salad with Lemon & Anchovies
For 4 sandwiches
6 large eggs
1/4 c. mayonnaise
2 anchovies (more if you like, to taste)
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
coarse salt & freshly ground pepper
Hard-cook the eggs—put the eggs in a medium saucepan, cover with cold water plus 1 inch, and set uncovered over high heat. Bring to a rolling boil, turn off heat, cover, and let sit for 11 minutes. Meanwhile, fill a medium bowl with ice and cold water. When the timer goes off, transfer the eggs to the ice water and let sit for at least 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, mash the anchovies in a medium bowl. Whisk in lemon juice, mayonnaise, mustard, and a few grinds of black pepper. Crack and peel the eggs, dice them, then stir into the mayonnaise mixture. Cover and chill the egg salad until ready to use.
Tomato Sauce
Makes 1/2 cup
1/3 c. ketchup
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. soy sauce
1-2 tsp. harissa or chili paste (to taste)
Whisk ingredients together.
