Food & Drink

A Perfect BLAT

Is there any better way to pump up your football party-planning than with a collection of smoky, savory, crispy, meaty, salty, sweet bacon recipes? In Peter Kaminsky and Marie Rama’s book, everything is better with bacon (including game-time grub). From Bacon Nation, here’s their recipe for the perfect BLT—with an avocado twist.

A Perfect BLAT (Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado & Tomato)

Makes 2 sandwiches

Now, everybody knows that a BLT has mayonnaise, but we thought there had to be another way, and then a visit to Ted & Honey, a lovely sandwich shop in Brooklyn’s Cobble Hill neighborhood, caused a little lightbulb to shine in the bacon part of our brains: avocado. It has the fat and creaminess of mayo and its own nutty and fresh flavor that makes for an even more healthful BLT—or, as we like to think of it, BLAT. To make up for the vinegar in the mayo, a squeeze of lemon juice adds a bright, tart fruitiness. When only mayo will do for your BLT, we suggest going whole hog (!) and slathering your sandwich with Bacon Aioli.

6 slices bacon (thin to medium thickness, depending on your preference)
1 medium-size ripe Hass avocado, peeled and with pit removed
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon salt, or more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
2 dashes your choice of hot sauce (optional), or more to taste
2 leaves romaine lettuce, large enough to slightly overlap the edges of the bread
4 slices multigrain bread, toasted
1 medium-size ripe tomato (preferably locally grown), cored and cut into 4 thin slices

1. Cook the bacon in a large skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium heat until browned and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes, depending on the thickness of the bacon, using tongs to turn the slices and adjusting the heat as necessary. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

2. Combine the avocado, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and hot sauce, if using, in a small bowl and mash the avocado with a fork until smooth. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and/or hot sauce as necessary. Set the avocado spread aside. Rinse the romaine lettuce leaves and pat them dry with paper towels.

3. Place 2 of the slices of bread on a work surface. Spread each slice with half of the avocado spread. Layer the lettuce, tomato, and bacon over the spread, dividing the ingredients evenly between each sandwich. (If the bacon slices overlap the bread, simply cut or fold them in half to fit within the bread’s edges.) Top each sandwich with the remaining slice of bread, then cut the sandwiches in half and serve immediately.

Bacon Aioli

Makes about 1 cup

First a confession: We are not huge fans of straight old-fashioned mayonnaise. But aioli is a horse of a different color. Garlic gives aioli a completely different aspect and bacon steps right in and lets garlic know there is more than one powerful flavor in this game. The apple cider vinegar lends a bit of subtle sweetness. Try the aioli as a sandwich spread, a dip for raw vegetables, a sauce for grilled fish, or a filling for hard-cooked eggs; or toss enough of it to coat a salad mixture of romaine leaves and croutons. And don’t forget to try the aioli on a BLT. You may never eat another one without it.

3 slices bacon, diced
1 whole large head garlic
⅔ cup mayonnaise
1⅓ teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400˚F.

2. Cook the bacon in a medium-size skillet over medium heat until the bacon is lightly browned and most of the fat is rendered, 5 to 8 minutes, stirring often and adjusting the heat as necessary. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, reserving the bacon fat in the skillet.

3. Cut off and discard the top of the head of garlic to expose the cloves, then generously brush the exposed cloves with some of the bacon fat. Wrap the head of garlic in aluminum foil and bake the garlic until the cloves are tender, about 35 minutes. Let the garlic cool until slightly warm, 5 to 10 minutes.

4. Squeeze the garlic cloves from their skins into a medium-size mixing bowl and mash them well with a fork. Add the mayonnaise, cider vinegar, and drained bacon and stir to blend well. Season the aioli with salt and pepper to taste. Cover the aioli and refrigerate it for a few hours to let the flavors bloom before using. The aioli can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 1 week.