Three Recipes from Jason Skrobar's new cookbook, 'The Book of Sandwiches'

A Pickle Burger, for Lindsey



makes 4 burgers (with 4 leftover buns)  

Ingredients:

tomatoes
2–3 firm tomatoes, sliced 1 inch thick
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar 1 tsp dried dill weed
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp cracked black pepper

buns
2¼ tsp active dry yeast (one ¼ oz/8 g packet)
1 cup + 1 tbsp water warmed to approx. 105°F                                 
2 tsp granulated sugar
⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted 1 large egg, beaten
3¼ cups all-purpose flour 1 tbsp dill weed
1 tsp kosher salt
1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 tsp whole milk
Dill weed, dill seeds, and sesame seeds (black or white or both)

pork patties
1½ lb (680 g) ground pork 1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dill weed
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp cracked black pepper 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
4 slices extra-old white cheddar

pickle mayo
½ cup mayonnaise 1 tsp pickle juice
1 dill pickle, finely minced

assembly
A few handfuls of baby arugula Dill pickles for serving

Directions:
    
The tomatoes need a bit of time in the fridge, so let’s get those out of the way first. Gently pile the slices into a medium-sized mixing bowl and make the vinaigrette. To a small mixing bowl add the olive oil, vinegar, dill weed, salt, and pepper and whisk until fully combined. Pour the vinaigrette over the tomato slices, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge until the burgers are ready to assemble.

Time for the buns. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the yeast, sugar, and warm water. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes, at which point the yeast will have started to wake up and bubble, and you know you’re ready for the next step. Add the melted butter, egg, flour, dill weed, and salt and turn the mixer on to medium speed. Knead the dough for about 8 minutes; the dough will now be soft but slightly tacky. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can knead the dough by hand on a lightly floured work surface for about 10 minutes until the same consistency is achieved.

Place the dough in a large, lightly oiled mixing bowl, turning the dough a few times to coat, and cover with a tea towel. You’ll want to find a slightly warm and cozy place for the dough to rise. It’s ready for the next step when it has doubled in size, about an hour to an hour and a half.

Punch the dough down, remove it from the bowl, and divide it into eight equal pieces. Shape the pieces into balls and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover them with a tea towel so they can rise a second time—a warm spot is preferable again—for about 30 minutes or until they double in size.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Brush the tops of the buns with the yolk mixture—make sure you get all the way down the sides—and sprinkle with dill weed, dill seeds, and sesame seeds.

Bake for 16–18 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside to cool.

For the burgers, in a bowl, use your hands to mix the ground pork, garlic powder, dill weed, salt, and pepper until combined, ensuring you do not overmix. Divide the meat mixture into four equal portions and form into patties. Ensure your grill is well oiled and preheat one side of it to high (375°F–400°F). Place the burgers on the side with direct heat and grill for about 2 minutes per side with the lid open. Flip the burgers onto the other side of the grill (with indirect heat) and continue to grill for another 3–4 minutes per side with the lid closed. Add the cheese, close the lid again, and continue to grill for an additional minute or until the cheese has fully melted. Remove from the grill and let rest for a few minutes before topping.

Before assembling, make the pickle mayo. In a small bowl, mix to combine the mayo, pickle juice, and minced pickle.

I prefer to toast my burger buns, but because these will have just come out of the oven and will be super fresh, use them as is.

Toasting is best if you use them a day or two after baking.

To assemble, spread a generous amount of the pickle mayo onto the bottom halves of four buns. Top with a cheesy patty, some tomato slices, and a bit of arugula. Finish with the top bun, serve with dill pickles, and enjoy!

My Perfect Sandwich 



makes 4 sandwiches

Ingredients:

sun-dried tomato mayo
½ cup mayonnaise
⅓ cup finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1 tsp cracked black pepper

assembly
8 slices thick-cut sourdough, toasted
Red or green leaf lettuce
4 heirloom tomatoes, sliced thick Kosher salt to taste

Directions:

To make the sun-dried tomato mayo, in a bowl, mix the mayo and sun-dried tomatoes together. Season with pepper and set aside.

Lay your tomato slices on a cutting board and season with salt. To assemble, spread a generous amount of the mayo on one side of each slice of toasted sourdough. Place a few pieces of lettuce on the mayo to hold it in place, and top with as many slices of tomato as your mouth can handle! Close with the other slice of sourdough. Enjoy!


Crème Brûlée Cookie Sandwich



makes 9 sandwiches

Ingredients:

cookies
1 cup unsalted butter, cubed
2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cornstarch 1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
½ cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract

custard
1 cup unsalted butter, softened 1 cup icing sugar
¼ cup custard powder
¼ cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
½ tsp kosher salt

topping
9 oz (250 g) cream cheese 1 cup icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp kosher salt
⅓ cup superfine sugar

Directions:

Let’s start with the cookies, and for that we’ll need to brown some butter. Place the butter in a medium sauté pan over medium heat and let it melt. Swirl the pan frequently to prevent the butter from burning. Cook until it browns and smells beautifully nutty, about 5–7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately trans- fer the butter to a large mixing bowl. Let cool slightly.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt. Set aside.

Once the brown butter has cooled, add both the sugars and whisk until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and continue to whisk until fully incorporated and smooth.

Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, switch to a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, and mix until well combined. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Place a rack in the center of the oven, preheat the oven to 350°F, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Portion the dough using a 2½ tbsp scoop and place 6 balls of dough on each baking sheet, spaced evenly, as the cookies will spread when baked (you’re making 18 cookies in total so don’t use up all of the dough yet). Bake, one tray at a time, until nicely golden brown around the edges, about 12–14 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough to make the final 6 cookies.

Next up, we’ll tackle the custard filling. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a medium bowl and a hand mixer, beat the butter on high until smooth and creamy. Turn the mixer off, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the icing sugar.

Turn the speed to low and let the mixture slowly incorporate. After about a minute, turn the speed to medium and beat until fully incorporated. Add the custard powder, cream, vanilla, and salt, slowly turn the speed up to high, and beat until fluffy. Transfer the custard to a clean bowl, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up. Clean the bowl of the stand mixer before making the topping.

For the topping, place the cream cheese in the bowl of the stand mixer and beat on high until smooth. Turn the speed down to low, carefully add the icing sugar, and beat until fully incorporated.

Turn the speed up to high and beat in the vanilla and salt.

Before assembling these sandwiches, you’re going to create the brûlée tops. Add the superfine sugar to a plate. Gently spread about a tablespoon of the cream cheese topping to on the tops of half the cookies. Carefully dip them into the plate of sugar, coating the cream cheese topping with sugar. Use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugared topping.

To assemble, dollop a tablespoon of the custard on the bottoms of the remaining cookies. Finish by placing the brûléed cookies on top of the custard and gingerly pressing them together. Enjoy!