Summary of "POV: Making a Classic Sandwich (With a Chef's Twist)"

Recipe focus

Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato & Fried-Bread Toast with homemade mayonnaise (chef’s method and tips)

Ingredients

• Eggs: fresh egg yolks (for mayo). Pasteurised egg yolks suggested if you want longer storage.
• Neutral oil (for mayo; trickle in to emulsify).
• Mustard (for mayo, for flavor).
• Vinegar (a little in mayo; also used with tomatoes — “cherry vinegar” mentioned).
• Salt (for mayo and seasoning).
• Lemon juice (a tiny bit in mayo).
• Bread: potato bread used in the video; cut into two thicker outside pieces and one thinner “moist maker” center piece (fried).
• Smoked streaky bacon (dry-cured streaky bacon).
• Tomato (sliced thinly).
• Shallot (thinly sliced).
• Lettuce (leaves, trimmed).
• Extra oil (to fry bread and supplement bacon fat).

Optional add-ins / substitutions - Sriracha or other hot sauce to make spicy mayo. - Pasteurised egg yolks to extend mayo life beyond 3–5 days. - Use a blender instead of whisking by hand.

Equipment & prep

• Mixing bowl (place a cloth inside to stabilise while whisking).
• Whisk (or blender if you prefer).
• Skillet / frying pan (for bacon and frying the thinner bread slice).
• Knife and board for slicing bread, tomato, shallot, lettuce.
• Plate for finishing and pressing the sandwich.

Make-ahead / storage

• Fresh mayo made with raw egg yolks: store about 3–5 days in the fridge.
• Use pasteurised yolks if you need a longer shelf life.

Step-by-step method

1. Prepare the mayonnaise

   • Stabilise your bowl (place a cloth inside).
   • Put a couple of egg yolks in the bowl, add a little mustard, salt and a splash of vinegar.
   • Whisk vigorously until combined.
   • Trickling in oil slowly while whisking, emulsify until it thickens to a butter-like, glossy consistency.
   • Finish with a tiny bit of lemon juice.
   • Variation: fold in sriracha or other flavourings for spicy mayo. A blender can be used instead of hand-whisking.

2. Prep tomato & shallot

   • Slice tomato thinly (so the sandwich fits in your mouth).
   • Thinly slice shallot; place with tomato and season with salt, pepper, a splash of cherry vinegar and a little neutral oil.
   • Let sit for a couple of minutes to marinate — the vinegar draws out sweetness and the shallots soften.

3. Cook the bacon

   • Use a skillet over moderate to low heat — not too high so the fat slowly caramelises and becomes crisp rather than chewy.
   • Cook until bacon is super crispy and fat is rendered; remove bacon and keep the pan with the fat.

4. Fry the middle slice of bread in bacon fat

   • Add a little extra oil to the pan if needed.
   • Put the thinner center slice into the bacon fat, reduce heat, and let it soak up the fat and caramelised bits; do not add butter.
   • Warm (but do not heavily toast) the outer bread pieces if desired.

5. Assemble the sandwich

   • Spread a generous layer of mayo on one outer slice.
   • Place marinated tomato slices on the mayo, add the softened shallots over them.
   • Add 2 trimmed lettuce leaves and even out layers.
   • Place the fried bread slice in the middle and add a light smear of mayo on it.
   • Add more lettuce and drizzle a little of the tomato dressing/juice over the top for extra moisture and flavor.
   • Place crispy bacon on top and cover with the other bread slice.
   • Press the sandwich down firmly so the mayo and bacon fat soak into the bread — this makes it easier to eat.

Assembly order (for clarity)

1. Mayo-smeared bottom bread
2. Tomato + shallot
3. Lettuce
4. Fried bread (middle slice)
5. Light mayo smear
6. Lettuce
7. Tomato juice drizzle
8. Crispy bacon
9. Top bread — press before serving

Timings & technique cues

• Mayo: whisk until thick, “butter-like”; trickle oil slowly to ensure a stable emulsion.
• Tomato & shallot: marinate a couple of minutes.
• Bacon: cook over low-to-moderate heat; render fat slowly to crisp without chewy bits.
• Fried bread: reduce heat and allow bread to soak up bacon fat and caramelised bits; avoid over-toasting.

Chef tips & common mistakes to avoid

• Stabilise your bowl with a cloth when whisking mayo by hand.
• Trickle the oil slowly — crucial for a stable mayonnaise.
• Don’t keep mayo made with raw yolks too long — about 3–5 days is recommended.
• Cook bacon gently; too high heat makes the fat chewy.
• Slice the tomato thinly so the sandwich fits in your mouth.
• Warm outer bread lightly; let the middle slice soak up fat for texture and flavor.
• Press the finished sandwich to compress layers and make it easier to eat.

Plating & serving suggestions

• Arrange neatly; appearance matters: “you eat with your eyes first.”
• Press the sandwich before serving to help meld layers and prevent excessive leakage.

Variations

• Spicy mayo: add sriracha or another hot sauce to the homemade mayo.
• Use pasteurised egg yolks for longer storage.
• Make the mayo in a blender for an easier, hands-free method.

Presenter / source

• Presenter is not named in the subtitles; they reference experience working at The Fat Duck. No additional sources cited.

Category

Cooking

---

Share this summary

Share on X/Twitter Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn Share on Reddit Share on WhatsApp Share on Telegram

---

Is the summary off?

If you think the summary is inaccurate, you can reprocess it with the latest model.

Reprocess summary

Video