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Kevin doesn’t eat sandwiches for dinner – or so he says. But this is a serious sandwich. So serious in fact, that Kevin actually approved of it for dinner – which never, ever happens. If I served him the fanciest sandwich made with truffle butter, perfectly rare roast beef, and gooey brie cheese on fresh artisan bread (um can you say YUM?!) I think he’d still scoff at it – although I might have to try that one out on him just to test the waters. I’m still trying to figure out what he has against them, but it’s most likely a lost cause. Needless to say, I’ve learned through our time together that usually it’s best to thwart the sandwich for dinner thing – except in the case of this serious sandwich.
So let’s talk about the components of said serious sandwich. First up – fried avocado.
Have you heard of this yet?
It’s one of those things that has been floating around the blogosphere for a while now – I’ve been seeing pictures of avocado “fries” everywhere from pinterest to foodgakwer. And while I think the idea is inventive and sounds good in theory, I wasn’t confident I could eat more than a couple in one setting.
Fast forward to a lunch I was at with my family a week or two ago. As you can imagine my peeps love food just as much as I do – especially my Mom and Uncle Kenny. We were deep in conversation about different foods we love when my Uncle brought up the topic of a stellar avocado sandwich he used to have back in California. I can’t remember the exact composition of the sandwich (Kenny, help me out here) but if I recall, it incorporated lots of ripe avocado, grassy sprouts, and tomatoes. During this conversation my mind kept drifting back to the same avocado fries I was previously skeptical about. I thought, maybe instead of eating them as “fries” I could incorporate the same idea into a sandwich similar to the one Kenny described.
And the fried avocado sandwich was born….
Next up in our sandwich making process – homemade lemon aioli and bacon.
I mean, I don’t even need to explain bacon to you, do I? Bacon belongs in ALL sandwiches – it’s a fact.
Now, lemon aioli – without this – there is no sandwich. This aioli makes the sandwich – I know, I know it’s called a fried avocado sandwich, but the aioli, oh the aioli – how I love thee.
This stuff will take any plain sandwich from drab to fab instantly. Plain turkey sandwich? Add lemon aioli. Grilled cheese? Add lemon aioli. Hamburger? Why yes, slather on a little lemon aioli.
Here’s how I made it:
Egg yolk is dropped into the bottom of blender, along with a little lemon juice, lemon zest, and grated garlic. Turn the blender on and then very slowly drizzle in a mixture of olive oil and canola oil until it becomes a homogenous mixture that looks similar to mayo. Season to taste with more lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Side Note: I like to use a combination of olive oil and canola oil because the olive oil is healthier but has a stronger olive-y taste while the canola oil has more of a neutral flavor. It’s totally a personal decision though.
Lastly – the norm sandwich accessories.
Peppery arugula for a little kick and color.
Juicy beefsteak tomatoes sliced super thick.
The best whole-grain bread you can find. The nuttier, the better. Oh, and slathered with butter and toasted. 🙂
Super serious sandwich, complete.
- 8 slices good whole-grain bread
- 8 slices bacon, cooked
- 1 cup arugula
- 1 large beefsteak tomato, cut into ¼ inch slices
- Aioli:
- 1 egg yolk
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice, plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- Black pepper
- Avocado:
- 1 avocado, pitted and cut into ¼ inch slices
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup plain breadcrumbs
- 1 egg white + ½ tablespoon water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- To make aioli: Place yolk, lemon juice, salt and zest in the bottom of a blender. Turn on high and VERY slowly drizzle in oils. Blend until the mixture becomes homogeneous and looks similar to mayo. Season to taste with salt, lemon juice, and pepper.
- To make avocados: Combine breadcrumbs, salt and garlic powder in a small bowl. Combine egg white and water in a small bowl. Place sliced avocado in bread crumbs, then egg white and then back into bread crumbs. Place on a cooling rack while you prepare the others. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large sauté pan over a medium-high heat. Cook avocados until brown on each side, about 30 seconds per side.
- Butter bread and toast in a large sauté pan over a medium-high heat until golden brown.
- Slather aioli on bottom of toasted bread, top with tomato (season tomato with salt and pepper), then bacon, followed by the arugula and fried avocado. If desired put a little more aioli on top piece of bread.
Rosie @ Blueberry Kitchen says
Oh wow, I have never heard of fried avocado! Your sandwiches look seriously delicious!
Nicole says
Thanks Rosie!
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious says
Fried avocado is the best! And this sandwich is amazing. I could have this every morning!
Madeline says
Oh my goodness. Trying right away!
Tricia says
Do you worry about the raw egg? It sounds great. I don’t fry the avocado, but I fry bananas in olive oil and garlic, spread the bread with mayo or now your lemon aioli and load on the green stuff. Makes a great lunch!
Christina says
Sounds gerat! Just a fyi, there’s typo in the instructions:
“Combine egg white and white in a small bowl. “
Nicole says
Thanks for letting me know Christina!