How to improve my bacon apple sandwich..

[eastshores]

I was going to a buddys house this weekend for Easter and laying in bed sunday morning I was trying to think of something good to make as an appetizer. I went through all the usual things and my mind settled on either a repeat of something I've done before, a lobster salad in cucumber cups, only I figured I would use snow crab clusters that are already cooked.

Instead I went in an entirely different direction and decided to make little sandwiches of bacon and granny smith apple, the bread being buttered and grilled, and I wanted to make an aioli but ended up with a store bought bernaise. They were pretty good (well it did have bacon on it) but they weren't stellar.

My question to you, is what would have made this sandwich stellar? A real aioli? Some heat? Micro-greens? Those are things that I thought of, what do you say?

 

[mgchef]

A real aioli, other than that I would dislike the combination of bacon and apple, because I don't like apple.

 

[shroomgirl]

you are talking about an appetizer.....

One of my friends has a ham, bacon, cheddar, honey mustard, granny apple panini on his menu....it's very well balanced.

Ap:  small 1.5-2" square of fogasse split and toasted,  I'd go with a shallot mustard or guldens or a slightly spicey but not coarse mustard, bacon slices, thin tart apple slices, and possibly alittle ham....may just round out the flavors.

 

[gunnar]

Cheese.  Bacon and apple and Point Reyes Bleu Cheese or a nice creamy gorgonzola. Baby swiss even a muenster. Forget the Aioli, you want cheese.

 

[kyheirloomer]

My first thought was a spicy avocado cream.

But if you're grilling them, Gunnar is right. You need cheese.

In my head, pears pair with the blue cheeses better than apples. With your combo, I think a good gruyere and spicy mustard is all you need to pop things up.

A recent discovery for me is Tomme de Savoie, and that would work even better than the Gruyere if you can find it.

 

[cheflayne]

Brush the bacon with maple syrup before cooking. Reduce some apple juice, calvados, apple cider vinegar, shallots, and some cracked black pepper to make a quasi bernaise. Caramelize some onions and use arugula for the micro greens.