10x tips from chefs for the most delicious sandwiches

We love a good sandwich, whether it’s lovingly made by a (lunch) chef or we dive into the kitchen ourselves for some serious spreading and stacking. It gets even better when chefs share tips on how to make a chef-worthy sandwich at home!

Because yes, of course it can be as simple as spreading a layer of the best butter on a slice of sourdough and adding a few slices of that delicious traditional Dutch cheese, but there you have it already: that actually takes quite a bit of care. Good butter, bread without a 10-cm-long ingredients label, and cheese with flavor. You can make something wonderful out of a simple sandwich too. And craving a next-level sandwich? Then follow these tips from chefs around the world:

Toast one side

If you toast just one side of a thick slice of bread (in a frying pan) and then place the toppings on the crispy side, your sandwich won’t turn soggy, while you’ll still have a lovely soft exterior and mouthfeel, says Thai Dang, a chef in Chicago. According to him, it also creates an interesting texture.

Mix sweet and savory

Did you also used to have something sweet on your bread only after eating something savory? Now you’re an adult, so do whatever you like—and you can absolutely combine sweet and savory. Emily Yuen from New York recommends trying a sandwich with egg, bacon, and jam (try bacon jam too!), or putting a few slices of pear in your grilled cheese.

Give it some weight

You can make that grilled cheese extra delicious by placing something heavy on top of it in the pan. Ravinder Bhogal from London says it’s the perfect combination of fat and carbohydrates—her favorites, naturally. Her tip is to start with good bread, heat a cast-iron pan, and generously butter the outside of the sandwich. Place it in the pan and add a weight on top (or a smaller heavy pan), so the entire surface makes good contact and every millimeter becomes crispy, while the cheese melts even better. Yum!

Spice it up

Maria Alkhalaf, also from London, almost always starts by putting her bread, pitas, or tortillas in a hot pan with oil or butter before turning them into sandwiches. She then sprinkles them with spices: use za’atar, chili flakes, sumac, or whatever you like. Heating the spices releases their aromas and flavors. Garlic oil? Also a great idea!

Look for variety

Those pitas and tortillas tie in nicely with the next tip, from Matt Manning in Cape Town: try a completely different bread. Used to always picking up a loaf of supermarket whole-wheat bread? On your next walk, stop by a (different) bakery, or specifically seek out a bakery with special bread. Brioche, for example, a sourdough baguette, or distinctive Chinese buns from the freezer section of an Asian grocery store.

Sauce it up

Always place the ‘wet’ ingredients, such as tomato or cucumber, in the middle (with some filling underneath and on top), so the bread doesn’t become soggy. And a good sandwich simply can’t do without a delicious sauce, says Chanty Yen from Montreal. FavorFlav favorite? Sriracha mayo—just as simple as it sounds: simply stir a dollop of Sriracha into the mayonnaise.

When in doubt, spread pesto

According to Ada Parellada, a chef in Barcelona, almost everything gets better when you spread good pesto genovese on it: hot sandwiches, cold ones, with vegetables, meat, or fish. And if you have nothing else, just bread, pesto, and some Parmesan cheese. Incidentally, it’s not as if all her sandwiches always taste of pesto. But it is her go-to when she really wants a sandwich to make her happy. And this is how you make Massimo Bottura’s most delicious pesto yourself!

Upgrade your mayo

See, we’re not the only ones: Peter Sanchez-Iglesias, a chef in London, also swears by Kewpie mayonnaise on his sandwiches. And, he says, always season your sandwich with salt and pepper! (Which definitely applies to a salad too.)

Spread your chances

Or rather, increase your chances of getting a delicious bite every time by spreading all the ingredients for your sandwich evenly. According to Brodie Meah from London, it’s no secret that a good sandwich is all about building interesting layers. But the real key to success is ‘organized stacking’, so the ingredients are actually distributed evenly across the surface and you never end up with a bite containing nothing but cucumber, for example.

A crispy piece of work

Saved the best for last? For James Cochran, chef-owner of 12:51 in London, it starts with top-quality bread, his sauces are ultra-important, and playing with textures is incredibly interesting. At the moment, that means crispiness for him: putting plain potato chips on your sandwich is already fairly well known, but why not do as James does and crush some wasabi peas for extra kick and crunch between the fillings? Such a fun experiment!

Also read:

• 10x sandwiches that should be banned
• The cheese sandwich is now intangible cultural heritage
• These are the most delicious fried chicken sandwiches we know (and you should try them too)

Source: Timeout