Sandwich recipes from The Book of Sandwiches

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Our cookbook of the week is The Book of Sandwiches by Toronto-based food stylist and recipe developer Jason Skrobar.

Jump to the recipes: The BLFGT, Mozzarella in Carrozza (fried mozzarella sandwiches) and Another Sandwich for Dad (veal schnitzel, artichoke and lemon tarragon brown butter mayo).

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“What is your idea of the perfect sandwich?” Reading Jason Skrobar‘s The Book of Sandwiches took me on an unexpected trip down memory lane: my life stuffed between two pieces of bread. A regular order at a long-closed breakfast spot: slices of green apple, bacon and cheddar on toasted sourdough slathered with Dijon mustard. The squishy turkey subs I bought at the gas station as a teenager and a yuba cheesesteak that remains one of my all-time favourite meals.

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As it turns out, the joy of getting lost in Skrobar’s sandwich land is a common experience. “Every single time I talk to someone about the book, people’s faces light up because people love sandwiches. They really do. It’s a universal thing,” says the Toronto-based author.

A burger is a sandwich in Skrobar’s book. So are all things open-faced and a sausage on a bun (“even though it’s not completely cut, it’s still sandwiched between two pieces of bread”). Chapters focus on The Classics, such as grilled cheese three ways (including mozzarella in carrozza, “a grilled cheese lover’s dream”), Breakfast, Chic, Open, Burgers, Hot Hot Mess (all things comfort), Sweet (ice cream sandwiches, sandwich cookies and whoopie pies), Essential Sauces and, finally, a sandwich-themed version of the Proust Questionnaire.

With vibrant colours, bold presentation and enticing flavours, The Book of Sandwiches is all about fun. Along with the 85-plus sandwich recipes he fine-tuned at tasting parties in London, Paris and Toronto, Skrobar explains how to build your perfect sandwich, offers tips on techniques such as grilling sausages and shares stories about family.

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“I wanted to write a happy book, and that’s why colour was important to me. I wanted everything to be bright and cheerful. And in the stories, I wanted to talk about my family, and I just wanted people to be happy when they read the book.”

His late parents, Marcella Skrobar and Marjan Skrobar, “were huge inspirations” for The Book of Sandwiches. Growing up in Windsor, Ont., they often spent time in the kitchen as a family. Until Marcella, “an early adopter of the health food movement,” opened her health food store, The Healthy Nuts, in the early 1990s, she was a stay-at-home mom, and cooking was an important part of her day.

“When she changed her whole philosophy around food, it really changed how we ate as a family, because everything was homemade. Not only did she make food for us every day, but she was making most of it from scratch. And Dad jumped on board with this whole way of eating.”

Marcella is his “forever inspiration in the kitchen.” And, originally from Slovenia, Marjan is Skrobar’s “constant reminder of why I love to cook.” Soups were his strong suit and, in later years, he became a “jam master,” spending hours over the stove coming up with new flavours.

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The peanut butter and blueberry chia jam sandwich in the book combines their specialties: Marcella’s homemade peanut butter and Marjan’s jam. A chocolate carrot cake and mascarpone cream cheese sandwich is a nod to the birthday cake Marcella made Skrobar and his twin brother, Ryan, every year. A schnitzel sandwich with jarred artichokes and lemon tarragon brown butter mayo is an homage to the cutlets he “helped” Marjan make on weekends as a young child.

“Having two parents in the kitchen all the time as a kid made me comfortable being in the kitchen. So, it felt natural that this was the career I ended up with, because it was something I wasn’t afraid of,” says Skrobar. “It’s so important for kids, even if their parents aren’t the best cooks, just to be with them in the kitchen so they feel like when they do leave, they’re able to make their own meals. They don’t have to be gourmet.”

Skrobar has worked in food for more than 25 years, first front and back of house in restaurants and, for the last 15 years, as a food stylist and recipe developer. Despite his experience, he didn’t expect to write a cookbook, but a close friend planted the seed during the pandemic. Skrobar started cooking for her and her husband after they had a baby. Every time he dropped off meals, they would joke that he needed to write a cookbook. Then, flying back from visiting friends with whom he had started a “drunken late-night sandwiches and late-morning hungover sandwiches” tradition, he had an “A-ha!” moment.

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“The idea came to me of a whole book on sandwiches. And I truly thought, ‘There’s no way that there aren’t a million of these out there.’ Because how could there not be? I knew for sure there were salad cookbooks and pressure cooker (cookbooks) — a lot of books on one topic. Surprisingly, there aren’t a lot of sandwich cookbooks, which is so strange to me. It reinforced the idea of, ‘OK, I need to do this.’”

Skrobar loves sandwiches as much as ever since writing the book. In fact, during a quiet work week recently, he challenged himself to come up with another 100 recipes. What could potentially become The Book of Sandwiches 2 was also an enjoyable exercise.

“I would write another book all about sandwiches if I could. I just love them so much,” says Skrobar. “At the end of the day, it is just being able to pair ingredients, things that work together. Textures also play a part in it. So, it’s a fun puzzle. It’s like, ‘How can I put all of these things together? What’s going to finish it? What kind of bread will work the best?’”

The book offers several breadmaking options, including focaccia and Central European-inspired sweet buns (buhteljni in Slovenian and buchty in Czech). Skrobar features a mix of simple sandwiches that readers could make in five to 10 minutes and more labour-intensive recipes with multiple elements within, which can be drawn out and enjoyed in different ways. Add the fried green tomatoes from The BLFGT (Skrobar’s take on a classic BLT) to a salad, for example, or dip oven fries in the lemon tarragon brown butter mayo from Another Sandwich for Dad.

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With his first single-subject cookbook out in the world, Skrobar appreciates the range and flexibility of sandwiches most of all. “It can be something that you can take peanut butter and jam and throw together, and that can be done in a minute. But then you can also take your time and spend the whole afternoon and arrive at something that’s pretty gourmet, and it’s still a sandwich. There’s such a wide variety of possibilities with the sandwich.”

The BLFGT

Fried Green Tomato / Bacon / Avocado / Lettuce / Brioche

Makes: 4 sandwiches

Bacon:
8 slices thick-cut bacon

Tomatoes:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp hot sauce
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan
3-4 green tomatoes, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
Avocado oil for frying
Flaky salt to finish

Avocado spread:
2 avocados, peeled and pitted
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

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Assembly:
4 brioche buns, toasted and buttered
1/2 small head romaine, shredded

Step 1

Position a rack in the top section of the oven, preheat the oven to 400F (200C), line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top.

Step 2

If you’ve never cooked bacon in the oven before, you’re in for a treat. This foolproof way keeps your stovetop free of grease splatters and allows you to do other things while the bacon crisps up in the oven. On the prepared baking sheet, arrange the bacon slices in one row — it’s okay if they’re touching slightly — and place in the hot oven for 18-20 minutes. This will give you perfectly cooked bacon that will be crispy but still leave a bit of chew, ideal for a sandwich. Set aside.

Step 3

Set out three medium bowls. In the first one, combine the flour, salt, pepper, and paprika and give it a quick mix. In the second bowl, place the egg, buttermilk, and hot sauce and whisk until thoroughly combined. Finally, in the third bowl, toss together the cornmeal and parmesan.

Step 4

Line a baking sheet with paper towels and set a wire rack overtop. Time to fry some green tomatoes. Heat about 1/2 inch of oil in a cast-iron pan or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat until the oil begins to glisten.

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Step 5

To dredge the tomatoes, place a few slices in the flour and coat both sides. Dip into the egg mixture and finally into the cornmeal mixture, patting the cornmeal onto the tomato to ensure it sticks.

Step 6

Fry the tomatoes in batches by adding three or four at a time to the pan. Fry for about 2-3 minutes, then carefully flip and fry for 2-3 more minutes, or until golden brown on both sides. Remove to the wire rack and sprinkle with flaky salt. Repeat until all the tomatoes are fried.

Step 7

The avocado spread can be either smooth or chunky. Place all the ingredients in a mini or regular food processor and blitz until smooth. If you prefer something chunkier, place the ingredients in a bowl and mash with a fork until you reach your desired consistency.

Step 8

To assemble, spoon a generous amount of avocado spread on the bottom of each bun, then top with fried tomatoes, bacon and lettuce. Finish with the top of the bun.

MOZZARELLA IN CARROZZA

Mozzarella / Panko / Italian Bread

Makes: 4 sandwiches

Assembly:
3 cups shredded mozzarella
8 slices Italian bread
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs, beaten
1 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 cups panko
Extra-virgin olive oil for frying
Flaky salt

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Step 1

Mozzarella in carrozza, a classic southern Italian street food, is a grilled cheese lover’s dream. To make it, divide the mozzarella equally among four slices of the bread. Top with the remaining slices of bread and press down firmly.

Step 2

Line a baking sheet with paper towel and set a wire rack overtop. Set out a dredging station of three bowls: one with the flour, the next with the beaten eggs and salt, and the last with the panko.

Step 3

Carefully coat each sandwich in the flour, then dip it in the eggs, and then dip it in the panko.

Step 4

Heat a cast-iron pan over medium heat and add enough oil to fill the pan about 1/4-inch deep. Once the oil is glistening, carefully lay the sandwiches in the pan (one or two at a time, depending on the size of your pan) and fry for about 2-2 1/2 minutes per side; you’re looking for the panko to become golden brown and the cheese oozy and almost about to burst out. Remove the sandwiches from the pan, place on the wire rack, and finish with a sprinkling of flaky salt. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches. As with all sandwiches, but particularly with grilled cheese, serve immediately. Enjoy!

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ANOTHER SANDWICH FOR DAD

Veal Schnitzel / Artichoke / Lemon Tarragon Brown Butter Mayo / Capers / Parsley / Kaiser

Makes: 4 sandwiches

Lemon Tarragon Brown Butter Mayo:
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cubed
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp roughly chopped fresh tarragon

Veal:
1 1/2 lb (680 g) veal cutlets (about 8 slices)
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups dried breadcrumbs
1/3 cup finely grated parmesan
3 large eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
Neutral oil for frying, such as grapeseed or sunflower

Assembly:
4 kaiser rolls, sliced in half and toasted
12 jarred artichokes, patted dry and halved
2 tbsp capers
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Step 1

For the mayo, melt the butter in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Swirl the pan frequently to prevent the butter from burning. Cook until it browns and smells nutty, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately transfer the butter to a small mixing bowl to let cool completely.

Step 2

Place the egg yolk, Dijon, lemon juice, and 1/4 tsp salt in a blender. Blend on high for 20-30 seconds and then slowly drizzle in the cooled brown butter; you’ll want to drizzle it in very slowly to ensure a lovely creamy consistency. When ready, transfer the mayo to a bowl and gently fold in the tarragon. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.

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Step 3

Pat the veal cutlets dry with paper towels and lay them on a cutting board. If the veal is not already pounded, place cutlets between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet until they are about 1/4- to 1/8-inch thick. Lightly spread the Dijon onto both sides of each cutlet and liberally season with salt and pepper.

Step 4

Prepare the dredging station, using two plates and a bowl. Place the flour on one plate. On the second plate, mix to combine the breadcrumbs and parmesan. In the bowl, whisk together the eggs and cream.

Step 5

Dredge a veal cutlet in the flour, then dip into the egg mixture, letting any excess drip off. Finally, place the veal in the breadcrumb mixture and press it in to ensure the whole cutlet is coated. Place on a clean plate until ready to fry. Repeat with the remaining cutlets.

Step 6

Line a baking sheet with paper towels and place a wire rack on top. In a large skillet, heat about 1/2 inch of oil over medium heat. Working in batches of two or three cutlets at a time, fry one side of the cutlets for about 3 minutes, then flip and fry the other side for 3 minutes more. Remove to the wire rack and sprinkle with a bit more salt. Repeat until all the cutlets are done.

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Step 7

To assemble, spread the mayo onto the bottom half of each kaiser roll and top with veal schnitzel and some artichokes. Sprinkle with capers and parsley, close with the bun top, and enjoy!

Recipes and images excerpted from The Book of Sandwiches by Jason Skrobar. Copyright ©2024 Jason Skrobar. Photographs by Sébastien Dubois-Didcock. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

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