Elvis was renowned for his fried peanut butter sandwiches. That, most of us know. But in The Life And Cuisine Of Elvis Presley, there is another sandwich that EP favoured and there is not a peanut in sight.
This Presley fave is kind of the opposite of peanut butter. It features potatoes, onions and bacon, slowly fried in butter until golden and delicious. THEN, you pile that caramelised bounty in between two slices of bread. Add lots of salt and pepper. Maybe some other favourite condiments? Maybe my Secret Sauce*?! And then you sit back and marvel at how delicious simple things can be.
Before you worry about meeting a similar fate to EP, know that he used to eat 5 or 6 of these a day. Moderation is the key and one of these is definitely NOT going to send you to the pearly gates in a rhinestone jumpsuit. Fear not. Faileo-up!
Here’s how I made these today. It was enough to serve FOUR hungry people for lunch. Note that patience is a virtue with this dish – take your time and it’ll reap rewards. Coax these simple ingredients into something special!
If you are a vegetarian, swap the bacon for mushrooms. Yum!
The Other Elvis Sandwich
+ 1 kg of good quality potatoes, peeled and roughly cubed (I used Dutch Creams)
+ 3 medium onions, peeled and sliced roughly
+ 6 whole rashers of bacon – or 250g of mushrooms if you are doing a vegetarian version
+ 30g (or a jolly good knob) of butter (salted, if you please!)
+ 1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
+ fresh herbs of your fancy
+ 2 slices of your preferred (very fresh) bread per person
Optional: Secret Sauce (recipe below)
First, fry the bacon in a very large frying pan (if it has a lid, that’s a bonus!) until it releases lots of its fat. We are going to use that fat. Don’t get rid of it.
Remove the bacon and set aside. (When it’s cool, chop it into rough pieces)
Add the butter and onions to the pan. Once the butter has melted, add the potatoes too.
Cook over a medium-low heat for around 15 minutes, turning often to ensure everything gets nicely golden.
Add the chopped semi-cooked bacon to the pan again. Cook for a few more minutes – until the bacon starts to colour up a bit.
Pop a lid on – or cover the pan in foil – and cook for five minutes covered.
Remove the lid and test the potatoes to ensure they are cooked. NOTHING worse than a firm spud!
Once the spuds ARE cooked and bacon is getting crispy and brown, throw in the garlic and herbs and season with salt and pepper.
Toss well and cook for another couple of minutes to take the raw edge off the bacon.
Pile onto slices of untoasted bread.
Add secret sauce or tomato sauce or sriracha to your heart’s delight!
Pip’s Secret Sauce*
NB – I DO make my own mayo AND my own chili sauce, but this secret sauce is all about convenience!
+ One jar of Lee Kum Kee Chilli and Garlic Sauce (it’s this one)
+ One bottle of Kewpie brand Mayo (it’s this one)
To make – mix together! I probably do 2 tablespoons of mayo to 1 tablespoon of the chilli and garlic sauce. But you should make to suit YOUR taste!
Things to note:
. I am obsessed with fairly thinly sliced ciabatta and I used that for my sandwich. It’s un-fancy and has a delicious crust.
. It’s good to serve this with something crunchy, because let’s face it, it’s a total carb-fest and it’s good to aim for balance.
. A Bloody Mary or a crunchy glass of Prosecco would sit perfectly alongside this.
Let me know if you try this? It’s always good to know when people are making delicious things!
*Pretty bad at keeping secrets…
14 Comments
This sandwich may sound unappealing, but it’s actually very tasty, especially on cold winter days.
Late to the party but making this in the recovery week after Xmas when friends pop in…ok with Prosecco
Thank you
On a completely different topic – just seen you in the latest Frankie, Pip. Love the Brother ad – my 11 year old loves the doughnut wreath!
Aw! Thanks YOU GUYS! The donut wreath turned out pretty cute, I think. It’s on my front door AS WE SPEAK! Thanks for the nice words and encouragement! x
I am a HUGE fan of carb on carb. I also LOVE a spicy mayo. I think we are food twins Pip, except you drink tea & I drink Coke 🙂 x
I think we ARE twins. I really do. WE EVEN LOOK THE SAME. If you close your eyes. x
I properly laughed out loud at this! We DO both have dark hair & blue eyes so yes, maybe if you squint in the dark we ARE twins!! Twins who like to eat potatoes on bread with spicy mayo.
Ooooh yuuuum, you could substitute Haloumi for the bacon and still get that crunchy salty hit, can’t wait to try this.
That is such a good idea!!! Thank you for suggesting it! x
This sounds delicious, great for a brunch over Christmas.
I didn’t know about this sandwich and I sure am glad that you let me know about it! I think I just might send hubby down the road for some super fresh bread and whip them up for dinner – it is Sunday night after all.
Let me know if you try it! It’s a total family fave at our place! xx
This sounds ah-mazing *runs to shop and buys kilos of kewpie*
Oh my gosh. You can practically TASTE the rhinestones!!! xx