In Gastronaut: Adventures in Food for the Romantic, the Foolhardy, and the Brave [ISBN 0156030977 (& 0563522720)] schrijft Stefan Gates over 'bum-cookers' Fanny Cradock en M.F.K. Fisher die hun eigen billen of die van hun gasten inzetten in de keuken. Fanny Cradock ging op krentenbollen zitten wat de smaak ervan ten goede kwam (volgens haar echtgenoot Johnnie althans) [F&J Cradock, Time To Remember] en M.F.K. Fisher nodigde John Ash uit om een uur lang plaats te nemen op een in folie verpakte Franse sandwich die zij vervolgens samen oppeuzelden onder het genot van een glas Sonoma Pinot Noir [Mark Kurlansky, Choise Cuts | Jennifer Cockrall-King, Cooking in the Cariboos with John Ash].
De techniek:
- bread (crusty French bread or sourdough are perfect, but anything will do)
- butter
- fillings – choose two from Ham, good cheese, chicken, avocado etc
- mustard (or pesto, chermoulah, taramosalata, salsa verde etc)
- mayonnaise
- fresh herbs if you have them – parsley, thyme and rosemary are all good, as long as they go with your filling ingredients)
- watercress or rocket,
Cut your bread thickly and butter it lavishly. Make your sandwich with generous amounts of filling and, most crucially, spread on the pesto, mayonnaise, herbs and watercress (or rocket). Wrap the sandwich securely in a generous quantity of cling film – this will protect your clothes from greasy ingredients, and the sandwich from any noxious escapes.
Instruct your guests to sit on the sandwich for as long as possible – an hour is ideal.
Unwrap the sandwich and cut into finger-thick strips. Serve with cornichons and perhaps a glass of cider.
Aldus Stefan Gates