PBLT - Plant-Based BLT 

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PBLT - Plant-Based BLT 

This is a lip smacking sandwich from the Wicked Healthy chefs brothers Chad and Derek Sarno. We heart it. 

Ingredients

HERB AIOLI

MAKES A GENEROUS 1 CUP

INGREDIENTS

1 cup Plant-Based Mayo (page 264) or store-bought, such as Just Mayo

2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely grated with a Microplane zester

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

2 teaspoons minced or snipped fresh chives

Pinch of coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

TOMATO HABANERO JAM

MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS

INGREDIENTS

10 vine-ripened tomatoes, about 4 pounds

2 tablespoons everyday olive oil

1 sweet white onion, diced small (about 1½ cups)

6 cloves garlic, sliced wicked thin

6 to 10 habanero chile peppers, sliced or minced

1 tablespoon of date syrup or other natural sweetener (the brothers use cane sugar - but we try to stay off that) 

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme

½ tablespoon sea salt

Pinch of ground white pepper

MARINADE AND OIL

INGREDIENTS

¼ cup tamari or soy sauce

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1½ tablespoons Homemade Badass Sriracha (page 276) or other sriracha

1 teaspoon liquid smoke (mesquite preferred), optional

½ tablespoon granulated onion

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

2 cloves garlic, minced

Pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil, for frying (a bit less for baking)

Method

To make the aioli 

Whisk everything together in a small mixing bowl or jar. Use immediately or cover and chill in the fridge for about a week.

OPTION To Make KILLER TARTAR SAUCE: Whisk in 1½ tablespoons finely grated (zested) fresh horseradish or prepared horseradish and ½ cup finely chopped pickles.

To make the jam

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Set up a bowl of ice water.

2. Cut an X in the bottom of each tomato, then drop them into the boiling water and blanch until the skins start to peel back, about 30 seconds. Use a spider strainer or slotted spoon to transfer the tomatoes to the ice water. When cool, peel the skins from the tomatoes with your fingertips and a paring knife. Remove the cores and roughly chop the peeled tomatoes. You should have about 8 cups.

3. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the onions and sweat until soft, about 5 minutes. You don’t want to brown the onions, just soften or “sweat” them. Add the garlic and continue sweating for 3 to 4 minutes more.

4. Add the chopped tomatoes and everything else and crank the heat to high. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then cut the heat to low. Let everything simmer gently until thickened to a soft jam-like consistency, 1 to 1¼ hours. With all that sugar, the jam will want to burn on the bottom. Don’t let it. Stir the pot often to keep the jam from sticking and burning. The finished consistency should be like thin jam. It will thicken up more when it cools.

5. When the hot jam is nice and thick but still pourable, ladle or pour the jam into a pint-size Mason jar. Screw on the lid and let the jam sit at room temperature until cooled, 1 to 2 hours. The heat in the jar should create a vacuum, sucking down the lid. When cooled, store the jam in the fridge. It will keep for a few weeks.

To make the rice paper bacon

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Using 10 rice papers (about 8½-inch diameter), dip each in warm water to soften, then pat dry with clean kitchen towels.

3. Dip a pastry brush in the marinade and paint the paper all over with marinade.

4. Fold the paper in half to make a half-moon shape, then cut it crosswise into strips about 1 inch wide.

5. Place the folded strips on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining rice papers.

6. Bake the strips (in batches if necessary) until crispy, about 20 minutes.

7. Alternatively, pan-fry the marinated rice paper as described in step 4; but they are very delicate, so use tongs and handle them gently.

To assemble the sandwich 

1. Choose your favorite bread, like a small ciabatta bread roll sliced in half.

2. Lather on Herb Aioli and Tomato Habanero Jam. 

3. Layer the sandwich with thinly shaved red onion, thin slices of vine-ripened tomato, your favorite Plant Bacon (see below), and then Bibb lettuce. Chomp down and enjoy with a crisp pilsner beer!

This recipe comes from the fabulous cook book The Wicked Healthy Cookbook by Chad & Derek Sarno and David Joachim. Photography is by Eva Cosmos Flores