Anthony Bourdain’s bodega sandwich
He loved having a glass of port and hated health freaks. He thought all that fuss about superfoods was absolutely ridiculous. He wanted to eat what truly made him happy, and as he got older, his tastes became simpler, he said himself. ‘The bad boy of food’ died exactly one year ago. We honor him with a few of his favorite recipes.
R.I.P. Anthony.
“Forget pastrami: the ultimate New York sandwich consists of bacon, egg and cheese on a hard roll, cooked in a grill pan and served by someone who addresses you as papi or mami. In the morning, Spanish is the lingua franca in New York, or rather Spanglish. Even non-Spanish speakers in line at the bodega give it a try. It is the last bastion of the non-Starbucks breakfast – and perhaps the last place in the city where construction workers, bouncers, hedge fund managers, Black people, white people, Asians and Latinos come together, with one common goal: the bodega sandwich!”, wrote Bourdain.
Preparation
- Heat a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan, or a cast-iron grill pan, over high heat until it is sizzling hot. Add the bacon slices and fry until golden brown and crisp. Be very careful not to burn them! If that does happen, throw them away and start again. Use a spatula or kitchen tongs to place the slices on the newspaper-lined plate. Place the kaiser rolls cut-side down in the pan for 2 minutes to warm them and absorb some of the bacon fat. Remove them from the pan and top each roll with 3 slices of bacon.
- Break the eggs into a medium-sized bowl and beat them together with a pinch of pepper and salt. You’re not making scrambled eggs – more of an economical omelet – so don’t worry too much about the texture. Fry the eggs in the hot bacon fat until they are almost done to your liking, place the cheese slices on top and let them melt briefly. Remove from the pan, fold in half, cut into pieces and distribute them neatly over the rolls. Close the rolls, wrap them in aluminum foil if necessary to take away, and serve with a cup of weak coffee.
Title: It Doesn’t Get Better Than This
Author: Anthony Bourdain
Price: €29.99
Publisher: Carrera
Image: Bobby Fisher
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