Sandwiches are the cornerstone of any quick lunch, whether you’re making them from scratch or you’re picking up a meal from the supermarket. The BLT (bacon, lettuce and tomato) is a classic sandwich filling that offers a delicious, fresh yet salty flavour with every bite.
However, to give the simple sarnie an extra burst of flavour, dietitian and food expert Sara Haas recently shared the one ingredient she adds to the sandwich to “take it to the next level”. If you’re adding mayo to the bread, consider grating in some garlic.
Sara wrote for Simply Recipes: “Though there may be nothing wrong with your BLT sandwich, what if I told you that one ingredient you already have in the kitchen could take it to the next level? I learned this easy trick from Southern Living’s classic BLT recipe: Grate garlic into the mayonnaise. It’s as easy as that!”
View 3 ImagesGarlic can help the other ingredients sing.(Image: Getty Images)
Sara explained that adding garlic to the mayo, as well as other dishes, can actually help the other ingredients to shine and intensify when eaten. In essence, garlic can play an important “supporting role” for the BLT.
She wrote: “This is the reason why you should add garlic to your BLT. That big, bold, aromatic flavour it provides heightens the bacon, lettuce, and tomatoes, creating the most craveable BLT! But don’t worry. You’re not adding so much that all you taste is garlic.”
However, the key is not to overwhelm the sandwich with that sharp, tangy taste. Which is why Southern Living recommends mayonnaise as the “vehicle” for carrying the garlic.
The best way to incorporate it into your sandwich is to grate the garlic directly into the mayo. This way, you can get the bold flavour of the mayonnaise, while the mayo can mellow out the pungent allium.
View 3 ImagesGrate the garlic into the mayo for a flavourful sandwich(Image: Getty Images)
Using mayo as a base makes it easier to distribute the garlic flavour throughout the sandwich. The best way to get the most out of the garlic is to grate it, but if you don’t have a grater, Sara recommends smashing the garlic bulb.
Remove the skin, and mince the garlic until you’re left with tiny pieces. This can then be mixed directly into the mayo.
Simply slather on as much garlic mayo as you want. If you have leftover garlic mayo, keep it covered in an airtight container in the fridge. This can be kept in the fridge for three days.