Butcher’s BLT Sourdough Toastie

Serves 1 (but scale up proudly!)

Ingredients

-          2 thick slices sourdough

-          4–5 rashers dry-cured streaky bacon (or smoked, your call)

-          1 ripe tomato, thickly sliced

-          Crisp lettuce (little gem or iceberg works best)

-          Butter, softened (for the bread)

For the Butcher’s Mayo (optional but elite):

-          3 tbsp good-quality mayonnaise

-          1 tsp Dijon mustard

-          ½ tsp cider vinegar or lemon juice

-          Freshly cracked black pepper

Optional upgrades:

-          A few drops of Worcestershire sauce

-          A pinch of smoked paprika or chilli flakes

-          Black pepper on the tomatoes

Method

1. Cook the bacon slowly in a cold pan over medium heat until deeply golden and crisp, turning occasionally. You want rendered fat and proper crunch, not rushed bacon. Drain briefly on kitchen paper.

2. Stir together the mayonnaise, Dijon, vinegar and black pepper. Taste and adjust — it should be savoury with a slight tang.

3. Slice the tomato thickly and season lightly with salt and pepper. Wash and dry the lettuce thoroughly — moisture is the enemy of a good sarnie.

4. Butter the outside of both slices of sourdough generously. Flip over and spread the butcher’s mayo on the inside, before layering up your sarnie: bacon, tomatoes, lettuce.

5. Cook in a hot sandwich press or heavy pan over medium heat until the bread is deeply golden and crisp and the bacon is reheated — about 3–4 minutes per side if pan-toasting. Press gently.