Why we owe debt to the Earl of Sandwich
LIVING IN THE KITCHEN
If you cannot think beyond toast and butter, Michael Patrao whets your appetite for a culinary adventure starring spicy chutney, cool cucumber and crusty wholewheat bread
A sandwich is described as a meal between two slices of bread. You will be amazed how much can be stacked inside a sandwich. Sandwiches are uncomplicated, casual and varied. They are for all occasions — lunch, dinner and snacks, parties and picnics. A sandwich can be plain or grilled. There are gourmet sandwiches as well as low-calorie sandwiches for weight watchers. 
Stuff those slices
Sandwiches have no rules. You can follow the classic and time-honoured method of combining elements to build your own original masterpiece.
John Montague, Fourth Earl of Sandwich, is credited with inventing the sandwich. A compulsive gambler, he would go from pub to pub in London on gambling marathons. One summer evening in 1762, the Earl, aged 44, had been sitting all day at a gambling table. He instructed his Man Friday to bring him cheese and meat placed between two slices of bread, so as not to get the playing cards greasy. And thus, the sandwich was born. Worldwide, bakers celebrate Sandwich Day on November 3, which is the birthday of the Earl.
Chutney, cheese or chicken tikka?
In 1827, the sandwich was introduced to America in a cookbook by Elizabeth Leslie. A recipe for ham sandwich was suggested as a main dish. Soon the biggest sandwich culture developed in America.
In India, we have a variety of vegetarian sandwiches, sometimes with chutney as the spread. I was once flummoxed to read a board outside a Mangalore restaurant which declared, ‘Sand witches sold here’. In recent times, the sandwich has gone global. Marks and Spencer makes a Chicken Tikka Sandwich.
The concept of a sandwich is very simple and building a good sandwich begins with the bread. Wholewheat or multi-grain bread is richer in fibre than the white bread, and far more healthier. Fortunately, today there is a rich assortment of delicious bread available in speciality stores and supermarkets.
Many of the ingredients required to make a good sandwich are usually readily available in the kitchen and in the refrigerator. For example, butter, mayonnaise, mustard, lettuce, eggs, cheese, meat and poultry. Other good sandwich ingredients include fresh herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers and even fruits. This will enable you to create your own spur-of-the-moment sandwiches.
The presentation of the sandwich should be pleasing to the eye and conveniently shaped for consumption. A good spread always makes a solid base for a good sandwich. One can add flavoured cream cheese, various kinds of mayonnaise or mustard as the spread. Lettuce and other greens should be washed and dried before using in a sandwich. A serrated (fine-toothed) bread knife is ideal to slice the sandwich. Use a plastic wrap to wrap the sandwich securely for storage or transport. Always serve a sandwich with a napkin or take one along in your lunch bag or picnic basket.
Some sources claim that the famous club sandwich was invented more than a hundred years ago at the Saratoga Club in New York State. Others claim that the club sandwich was first served in the elegant club cars of streamliner trains. Originally, the club sandwiches and the trains were double deckers. The traditional ingredients of the club sandwich are turkey, bacon, tomato, lettuce, butter, mustard or mayonnaise. Sometimes, ham is used instead of bacon, or chicken is used instead of turkey.
An open sandwich or an open-face sandwich consists of a single slice of bread with one or more ingredients layered on top of it — butter, cheese spread, cold cuts such as ham, bacon, salami, cheese or sausages and vegetables like bell peppers, tomatoes, radish, scallions and cucumber. Open sandwiches are consumed in many European countries.
The Scandinavian open sandwich consists of one slice of buttered bread, often whole grain rye bread, topped with cold steak, shrimp, smoked salmon, caviar, hard boiled eggs, bacon, herring, fish fillets or small meatballs. This is typically complemented by some herbs and vegetables such as parsley, a cold salad, thinly sliced cucumber, tomato wedges and/or pickled beets on the same slice of bread. A condiment, such as mayonnaise, or mayonnaise-based dressing is also often included in some form.
A submarine sandwich is a popular Italian sandwich that consists of an oblong roll, often of Italian or French bread, split lengthwise and filled with various meats, cheeses, vegetables, spices and sauces. The sandwich has no apparent generic name.
One theory is that it originated in a restaurant in Boston at the beginning of World War I. The sandwich was created to entice the large numbers of navy servicemen to the eatery. The bread — a baked baguette — was meant to resemble the hull of the submarines it was named after.
A double-decker sandwich is a sandwich with two layers of meat and condiments sandwiched between three slices of bread.
Dig in like Dag
A Dagwood sandwich is a tall, multi-layered sandwich made with a variety of meats, cheeses and condiments. It was named after Dagwood Bumstead, a popular character in the comic strip Blondie. Dagwood has been raiding the refrigerator and making enormous sandwiches for as long as one can remember. The ‘Dagwood sandwich’ finds mention in Webster’s New World Dictionary.
French toast, which is not necessarily French in origin, are slices of bread dipped in a mixture of beaten egg and sugar. The slices are then placed on a frying pan prepared with a coat of butter or oil, and cooked until both sides are browned. The cooked slices can be served with toppings including jam, butter, peanut butter, honey, fruit syrup, whipped cream, fruit, tomato ketchup (when sugar is not used) and cheese.
And now, smart sandwiches
American military scientists have developed the indestructible sandwich beginning with pepperoni and barbecued chicken varieties for soldiers on the move. It can survive air drops and rough handling and stay fresh for over three years, even in tropical conditions. Soldiers who tasted said they are “acceptable.” The sandwich is continuously evolving. Meanwhile, here are some simple recipes.
Cucumber sandwich: Butter a slice of sandwich bread. Place thin slices of cucumber with a coat of coconut chutney over the slice and close it with another buttered slice.
Ham and egg sandwich: Butter two slices of bread, place a slice of ham and a fried egg inbetween. Use mustard, salt and pepper. Grill, if you must.
