The art of sandwich making can be a complicated state of affairs, a complex set of rules that composes layers, textures, and flavors into the ultimate meal.
Or it can be dead simple. Something like this.
- A slice or two of top-quality bread
- A thick schmear of soft, salted butter
- A modest amount of one, great additional ingredient (a nice cheese, roasted vegetables, or thinly sliced meats or fish)
What is you see above is the ratio for that most perfect of simple sandwiches, the butter sandwich. If you have a friend who's travelled to Paris recently, you've probably heard of this sandwich before. That "unbelievable" ham sandwich your friend gushed about? What they're actually talking about is jambon beurre, which literally translates into ham and butter, or more specifically, great quality butter slathered all over great quality bread and topped with a great additional ingredient (in this case, ham).
All over bakeries and cafes in Europe you'll find sandwiches that make use of this simple formula. Some use prosciutto. Some use smoked salmon. Some use grilled vegetables. It's rare to see these sandwiches feature more than one filling, though, because just one filling is exactly the point. With good quality ingredients, you don't need more.
Which means that the butter sandwich is a great way to make use of whatever is in your pantry or fridge. Find a perfect summer tomato, some leftover grilled steak, a couple hard-boiled eggs, or a nice aged cheddar? As long as you've got some amazing bread and some salty butter, you've got an incredible sandwich.
Just one thing: Don't skimp on the butter. Don't get cheap when you buy the stuff—you want something really good, with a lot of salt—and don't get stingy when you're slathering it on. There's no mayo on these sandwiches, no mustard or oil either, so you need that butter for a layer of richness, and you need a good amount.
After all, they call it a butter sandwich for a reason.
