Sister Erin loves to throw me for a loop, now and then. Earlier this week, she did just that, gifting me with the results of a survey on fave everyday foods – from the UK. A highlight for me was the Top 10 British Sandwiches list. Some of which I had to look up!
The classic British BL&T: Before ‘closing up’…
British baker Hovis of Stoke-On-Trent is a household name across the UK. Its Favourite Sandwhich Poll is a tradition. And the 2024 edition is in. I have to say, the results left me a little surprised, a little befuddled… And more than a little intrigued…
Behold, The Brit Top 10!
- BLT / Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato – 28%
- Chicken Salad – 24 %
- Tuna Mayonnaise – 23%
- Fish Finger – 23%
- Cheese & Pickle / The Ploughman’s – 22%
- Egg & Cress – 19%
- Coronation Chicken – 18%
- Prawn Mayonnaise – 14%
- Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese – 11%
- Beef & Horseradish – 10%
First impressions…
My first reaction was, “What!? No PB&J?” Not apparently, a Brit thing. At all. Ever. Then, I asked, not exactly outraged… “No SPAM??” And, after reading down the list twice, I confirmed, “Not even a Grilled Cheese…”
And what about some of those other odd-sounding sammys? Many are just what they say. Broadly speaking, Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese and Chicken Salad are what we colonials know by the same names. But Tuna Mayo, Prawn Mayo, and Egg & Cress are also what we would characterize as ‘salad spread’ sandwiches.
Beef & Horseradish is thinly-sliced roast beef (leftover/Deli Style) topped with lettuce and a zippy mustard-mayo-horseradish sauce.
Decyphering the enigmas…
The Ploughman’s is a classic sammy derived from the traditional Ploughman’s Lunch: A chunk of local cheese – often Cheddar – a hunk of bread, and a pickle. Today, the accepted urban version may in-clude a prepared pickle such as Branson Pickle or Mango Chut-ney, and a slice of ham.
Coronation Chicken is basically cooked (leftover/rotisserie) Chicken, mayo, Greek yogurt, Mango Chut-ney, Lettuce, Fresh Coriander/Cilantro, Scallions, Mild Yellow Curry Powder, Flaked Almonds and Sul-tana Raisins. A great ‘Salad’ to eat with a fork, from h bowl. Or a luxe filling for yet another ‘salad spread’ style sandwich. (See photo, top of page.)
Fish Finger is more or less what it says. BUT… There’s more: “A pub classic,” Good Food says. “With fish fingers, gherkins, lettuce and ketchup, plus a lovely homemade tartare sauce…”
And about that BL&T…
The British BLT is a classic that originated there almost as the beginning of sandwiches, 3000 years ago. The legend has it, the Earl of Sandwich invented the meat-between-two-slices-of-bread format. He was playing cards and didn’t want to take a break to eat. Not did he want to handle the cards with gooey fingers…
Nevertheless, the Classic Brit BL&T consists of the following… EXACTLY:
- 3 slices of streaky bacon
- 2 slices good quality white bread
- 2 leaves of fresh iceberg lettuce
- 3 thick slices of ripe beefsteak tomatoes
- 2 TBS good quality mayonnaise (real, not ‘light’)
- salt and (freshly cracked) black pepper to taste
‘Make no substitutions. Accept no substitutes’…
And there you have it!
You can now consider yourself an expert on British sandwiches. At least as far as cocktail convers-ation would require…
Cheers, loves!
~ Maggie J.