The Club Sandwich

I really want to call it a club vanwich

Here was my creation today, one delicious 3 layer club sandwich.

Welcome to the club sandwich, club

I think the last time I ate a packaged sandwich was at Heathrow airport on the way back to Spain, April 2019 to be precise. It most definitely would have been from WHSmiths … a chicken stuffing one.

Anyway, today I parked up at a stunning spot overlooking the Pyrenees, and put together my new favourite snack on Instagram Live.

A huge part of vanlife for me is enjoying spending the time to cook real food in the back of my camper. I love going around the supermarkets here on the continent. The quality of fresh produce is great, the selection of cheeses and meats is huge, and the price for the quality available is very affordable.

By no means do I have an ounce of qualifications to teach any of you to cook. But what I do hope I can do is entice you into joining in this weekend to indulge on your very own, vanmade club sandwich.

Nothing fancy here, just a proper fresh snack. The club sandwich is iconic, bringing together common fillings you most likely have already. But there are some basic rules to follow so you can call it a club.

The Correct Toaster

First of all, the club must contain 3 or more layers of toasted bread. I prefer a wholewheat over plain white, but those would be the only two choices of bread this classic should be constructed upon.

Here was my setup today: I’ve got a cheap unbranded toast stand on the right, and a Ridge Monkey toastier maker on the left. I’m letting the bread dehydrate a little bit more so the sandwich has a decent crunch to it. If you toast your bread in the Ridge Monkey (while it is closed), it locks the moisture in and makes lovely toast, but not the type you want for the club.

The Ridge Monkey (left) can make toast, but you want drier toast for the club sandwich.

In the Ridge Monkey fry up some bacon strips to your desired crispness. Once that is done, crack in an egg and let that cook until the yolk is just done. Remember, when you cut this open at the end, you really want to see each of those layers in all of its glory … not yolk spilling out and ruining the scene.

Layering Up

I like to think a little bit about the layers and how things compliment each other. On the first sheet of toast I spread out Dijon mayonnaise, a decent spread of it too. It is the perfect base to then put the bacon and eggs onto, followed by some fresh slices of a large tomato.

Next slice of toast goes on top, with a spread of coarse-ground mustard. I think some other sauces could be used here, maybe a thin spread of Worcester Sauce or Lea & Perrins. Then goes the cheese, I love Emmental cheese so that’s on my sandwich. Fresh ice gem lettuce leafs go on top of the cheese.

I got excited buying ingredients in the local Carrefour in France, so I choose some slightly more fancy roasted chicken slices for today. You could also opt for turkey slices. But one of the things that makes a club sandwich, a club sandwich, is that it combines both pork and poultry.

Finish things off with some fresh avocado slices, and then the last slice of toast.

You gotta have a sharp knife to be able to make those perfect 1/4 cuts that the club is known for.

The Grand Finale

Time to cut your sandwich into 1/4s, and this is where your sharpest knife becomes essential. I was actually making this sandwich on Instagram Live today and had I been using a rubbish knife which made the sandwich fall apart, I would have felt rather silly.

I’ve got The Hell Gap knife from one of my new favourite brands, The James Brand. Use the code ADVANTUREMAGAZINE in their web store for 10% off.

Keep the pressure on the knife and make dedicated slices diagonally. Finish up with poking a toothpick through each cut, then decorating with an olive or pickle.

Look at that beautiful creation. Bon appetite.

Alex / editor
AdvantureMagazine.com