Author Notes: I love tomatoes and mayo on toast and I really love BLTs but only have them twice a year, once at the beginning of tomato season when the tomatoes are at their best and then again at the end of the season when I know they’ll be soon gone. We’ll have them with plain mayo or avocado mayo, depending on our mood. This sandwich satisfies that BLT craving even when the tomatoes are not quite at their peak. —inpatskitchen
Food52 Review: WHO: inpatskitchen is a retired teacher, paralegal and seafood retailer.
WHAT: A tomato, avocado, and bacon sandwich that defies all expectations — in a good way.
HOW: Avocado, crumbled bacon, and rendered bacon fat (!) make an aioli never to be forgotten. Then it’s just a matter of slathering it on toast and adding tomatoes.
WHY WE LOVE IT: As inpatskitchen says, the aioli is so good that “even when the tomatoes are not quite at their peak,” you’ll be craving this sandwich. Just imagine what it’ll be like come August. —The Editors
Makes: about 2 cups of aioli for many sandwiches
Ingredients
For the Bacon-Avocado Aioli
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3
slices bacon, cooked crisp, crumbled and rendered fat reserved
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1
room temperature egg
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1
large clove garlic
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1
medium avocado
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Juice of half a lemon
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3/4
cup vegetable oil
For the sandwich
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The Bacon-Avocado Aioli
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Toasted slices of a good rustic Italian bread
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The best tomatoes you can find, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
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Salt and pepper
Directions
For the Bacon-Avocado Aioli
- Process the bacon, egg, garlic, lemon juice and avocado in the bowl of a mini food processor until smooth. Add the vegetable oil and the rendered bacon fat through the holes on the lid slowly while continuing to process until very smooth and thick. Refrigerate for about an hour to thicken a bit more.
For the sandwich
- Slather as much of the aioli as you like on a slice of the toast. Top with a few slices of tomato and sprinkle with salt and pepper. I like these open face but if you like, slather a second piece of bread with more of the aioli and place on top.
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Photo by James Ransom
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Avocado, egg, lemon, garlic, tomato, bacon, oil, and the bread that will transport this all-star lineup to your mouth.
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You can crumble the bacon — cooked crisp, as inpatskitchen tells us to — with your hands, but we opted for a rough chop with a knife.
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In it goes to the food processor. This isn't the BLT you're used to.
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A clove of garlic, an egg, and lemon juice join the bacon.
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Here's how we like to pit avocados: holding the half in your hand, firmly (and carefully!) karate chop your knife in to the pit.
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A quick twist of the wrist, and the pit is out!
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A large spoon is the easiest way to get the flesh of an avocado out in one piece. Just slide it under the skin, all the way around.
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Good things are happening in this food processor.
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Between the egg and the fat from the avocado, you won't have to worry about this aioli breaking!
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Slowly add oil into the food processor shoot to emulsify into the sauce.
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Now, are you ready? Grab your cast iron pan, and do the same thing with the rendered bacon fat. This aioli isn't kidding around.
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Grab a spoon and dig in, we're done. (Kidding.)
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We love that inpatskitchen calls for "the best tomatoes you can find." Heirlooms or beefsteaks, just be sure they fit on your chosen slices of bread!
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We take it seriously when the instructions tell us to "slather" — especially when Amanda gets to use her beloved sandwich spreader.
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Then it's just a matter of adding tomato slices…
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plus a quick twist of salt and pepper.
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Summer's here — dig in.
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An aioli for the ages.
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