Warm a thin layer of oil in a non-stick frying pan, then place the patties down in the pan, a few at time, leaving room to flip them over. When the underside is golden brown, carefully turn the patties over and cook the other side. Drain briefly on kitchen paper before stuffing them into toasted buns with slices of tomato, salad and a slather of mayonnaise. For 6.
Tomato Caesar Bruschetta
tomatoes, Little Gem lettuce, ciabatta, garlic, egg yolk, vinegar, Dijon mustard
Slice 400g tomatoes in half and place them, cut-side up, on a grill pan or baking sheet. Cut 2 Little Gem lettuces in half and tuck them in amongst the tomatoes. Season, trickle with a little oil, then grill for a few minutes, till the lettuce has just started to colour and the tomatoes are soft.
Make the dressing. Peel 2 garlic cloves and drop them into a blender. Add an egg yolk, a tablespoon of white wine vinegar, a tablespoon of Dijon mustard, then 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Blend till smooth and thick. (You can also do this by hand, in the way you would make mayonnaise, beating the oil into the other ingredients with a balloon whisk.) Check the seasoning.
Split a large ciabatta loaf and toast it on the cut sides. Place toasted-side up on a board, trickle over a generous amount of olive oil, then cover with the tomatoes and lettuce. Spoon over the dressing and eat immediately, whilst the tomatoes are still hot and the bread is crisp.
For 4. Crisp, sweet, luscious.
A Beef Sandwich
leftover gravy, cherry tomatoes, roast beef leftovers, fresh horseradish, mayonnaise, bread rolls
Warm the roasting juices and gravy from Sunday’s roast beef over a moderate heat, including any interesting bits left in the pan. When they start to bubble, add a handful of cherry tomatoes, cut in half, and let them cook till they colour lightly. Crush the tomatoes in the gravy with a fork.
Finely grate a little fresh horseradish and stir it into some mayonnaise. Cut bread rolls in half lengthways, spread them generously with the horseradish mayonnaise and fill them with slices of beef cut from the cold roast. Put dishes of the hot gravy on the table and dip the rolls in as you eat.
Steak sandwich, buttery greens
Heat a well-seasoned or non-stick frying pan over a moderate heat, add a salted and peppered rib-eye steak and let it brown for a couple of minutes, without any oil or fat. Turn and cook the other side, then turn it again a couple of times. Slide a thick slice of butter under the steak – it will melt immediately – and let the meat soak some of it up, then turn it over in the butter, keeping the heat at a temperature that will not let it burn. Remove the steak and let it rest for a good 5 minutes. Melt a little more butter in the pan, add a few thinly shredded spring greens and fry till soft and bright. Split open a baguette, slice the steak into thick strips and stuff into the bread with the hot, buttery greens.
And a messy beef hash
Roughly grate a potato, skin on, then fry it in a little beef dripping with a finely sliced onion until it colours. Add some chopped parsley and thyme. Pour in some of the beef juices from the roast, then add the crisp ends of the roast, bits of golden fat and any interesting crusty bits left behind after the roast has been removed from the tin. When all is sizzling, pile the mixture into bread rolls.
Bresaola, Emmental and Pickled Cucumber Sandwich
sourdough bread, bresaola, Emmental cheese, sugar, cucumber, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard
Lightly peel half a cucumber with a vegetable peeler, then halve it down its length and scrape out and discard the seeds. Peel into long, pappardelle-like strips. Put 3 tablespoons of white wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard, a teaspoon of sugar and a little pepper into a mixing bowl and add the cucumber. Leave for 10 minutes.
To make the sandwich, fry 4 very thin slices of sourdough bread in butter till lightly crisp on both sides, then drain on kitchen paper. Pile 2 slices with thinly sliced Emmental cheese, shreds of the pickled cucumber, a little salt and some thin slices of bresaola. Then add the final slice of bread.
For 2. Toothsome.
Mozzarella and basil
Split a small ciabatta down its length. Toast the cut sides lightly and spread with basil pesto. Cover with slices of buffalo mozzarella, then stir a little more olive oil into the pesto and trickle it over the cheese. Grill till the cheese melts, but stop before it colours.
Onion, quince paste and blue cheese
Thinly slice a large onion, fry it in a little butter till nutty golden brown, then stir in a tablespoon or two of quince paste. When it bubbles, pile the mixture on to sourdough bread and cover with slices of blue cheese such as Picos, Cabrales or Stichelton.
Labne and mint in pitta
Warm some pitta bread in the oven or under an overhead grill, split it, then stuff with labne, feta (crumbled in a little yoghurt with dried oregano) or goat’s curd, plus some mint leaves and a good, thick, sweet olive oil.
Soft cheese, anchovy paste
Spread thin slices of sourdough bread with anchovy paste. Cover with slices of Camembert, Waterloo or similar semi-soft cheese, then add a second slice of anchovy-spread bread on top. Cook on a grill, or place in a frying pan in a little quietly sizzling butter and oil, pressing the sandwich down on both sides till it browns.
Chicken, Asparagus and Avocado Sandwich
cold roast chicken, basil, tarragon, dill, mayonnaise, asparagus, avocado, lettuce, spring onions, sourdough bread
Boil 8 small asparagus spears in deep water till just tender (they should still be slightly crisp for this), then drain. Slice them in half lengthways and set aside. Shred 2 crisp iceberg lettuce leaves. Trim 4 spring onions and halve lengthways. Peel and slice a small avocado. Slice a cooked chicken breast, or remove slices from yesterday’s Sunday roast.
Put 4 heaped tablespoons of mayonnaise in a bowl, stir in a tablespoon each of chopped basil, tarragon and dill and season lightly with salt. Toast 4 slices of sourdough bread and spread each of them with the herb mayonnaise. Top 2 of the slices with the lettuce and asparagus spears, followed by the spring onions and avocado. Place slices of chicken on top and sandwich together with the remaining bread.
Makes 2 heavily laden sandwiches.