How to build a better, succulent BLT
Adding lobster or arugula pesto also goes a long way.
It seems almost a shame to be writing about BLTs in the middle of May, months from tomato season, but it’d be more shameful to indulge in a month dedicated to sandwiches without including this pillar of high art. And don’t be mistaken, a BLT with its symphony of crunchy, savory, salty and juicy is high art.
The blueprint is baked into the name, a triumvirate of bacon, lettuce and tomato that yields an unassailable classic, if done correctly. The key, though, is not skimping on the quality of ingredients _ a sandwich this simple is a delicate balance, and using any ol’ bacon, lettuce or tomato will taste of mediocrity and wasted potential.
Food culture these days may fool you into believing that bacon is the star here _ our country is breathless f o r b a c o n-wrapped a nything _ but don’t be bamboozled. Tomatoes, those f l avor-packed ephemeral g l obes of s weet ne s s and acidit y, are the true highlight of a BLT. Unfortunately, we can’t have perfect tomatoes year-round, so seek out the best you can.
OK, f i ne, I l i e d: Bacon is the Thelma to tomato’s Louise, or Fred Astaire to Ginger Rogers. In tandem, bacon and tomato dance a life-affiffirming pas de deux of savory/sweet, salt y/juic y, crispy/tender. To cut corners here would be to dash all your effffffffffff orts i n fifinding t h e b e s t t o mato — d o n’ t give up now. Avoid, if possible, store-brand packs of bacon, which often taste briny without much else going for them. They’re fifine in a pinch, but compared wit h l e s s - proc e s s e d ve rsions, are only salty, rather than a complex balance of salty, smoky and porky.
Opt f or t hi c k c ut , dr ycured bacon — thicker bacon a d d s s u b s t a n t i a l b i t e t o thi s sandwich, while the dry-cure method imparts
In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon zest and juice, and tarragon. Use 3 to 4 teaspoons of this mixture to spread thinly on one side of each of the 4 toasted bread slices. Add the lobster and green onion to the remaining mayonnaise; mix well.
Place a lettuce leaf on each of 2 bread slices. Mound half of the lobster salad atop each leaf; sprinkle with the bacon. Top each sandwich with 2 to 3 tomato slices; salt and pepper them well. Cover sandwiches with remaining bread slices, mayo sides down. Halve sandwiches and serve.