Manchego with Iberico De Bellota chorizo and Belazu chilli jelly
Moaning about sandwiches is never a good thing to do (well, unless you write a blog. Then it's fine). It's an even worse idea when the proprietor of what's a very pro-sandwich site happens to be hovering nearby, waiting for his chicken and houmous wrap to be flicked out of the toasting press in his local. The issue? "The posh sandwiches". Errr...
After listening to the curmudgeon in question attempt to remedy the situation by prising a cheese salad sandwich out of the proprietor, today's experiment was born. Cheese salad is usually dull as mud, but this effort - a strong, two-fingered salute to the status quo of dairy-based butties - addresses the problem by doing two things differently. One, it uses good cheese, and two, it adds a sprinkling of meat.
The cheese in question is Manchego, a Spanish sheep's milk cheese, with a texture that's halfway between parmesan and cheddar, and a surprisingly creamy, nutty flavour. On top, a scattering of leftover Iberico Bellota chorizo, pan-fried with a little extra smoked paprika and ground pepper to add a bit of spice, as well as some thinly sliced spring onions. There's no thick sauce or relish on this, just a smear of Belazu smoked chilli jelly on top of the cheese. Light as you like, with a little added heat.
As ever, use good ingredients, and the most boring butty will kick the doors off when it comes to opening your lunchbox. When it comes to a good sandwich, there's nothing wrong with doing something that's a little bit 1%, now and again. Just take a look around before you tell anyone what you've made... some people might not approve.