Brick Pressed Sandwich Recipes

BRICK-PRESSED SANDWICH

Steps:

• Heat a grill or grill pan to hot; alternatively, heat the broiler. Cook peppers until completely charred, turning frequently so all sides cook evenly, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Place peppers in a deep bowl; cover with plastic wrap. Set bowl aside until skins loosen and peppers are cool enough to handle. Using your hands, rub off charred skin, rinsing hands frequently under cold running water. Slice peppers in half, and remove seeds and stems. Cut flesh into 1-inch-wide strips.
• In a medium bowl, combine mustard and vinegar. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Whisk in 2 tablespoons warm water. Whisk in salt and pepper to taste; set vinaigrette aside.
• Slice the loaf of bread lengthwise, and remove crumbs; reserve crumbs for another use. Spread the olive paste on the bottom crust, and add the pepper strips. Crumble the goat cheese on top of peppers. Arrange artichokes over goat cheese. Drizzle half of the reserved vinaigrette on top. Arrange prosciutto and salami over artichokes. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette. Scatter herbs over meats. Place the top crust on sandwich.
• Wrap in parchment paper; secure to a wooden cutting board using twine. Rest a brick or cast-iron skillet on top; refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 4. Just before serving, slice sandwich into 10 pieces.

SMASHED CHICKPEA AND EGGPLANT PRESSED SANDWICH

Steps:

• Arrange an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Preheat a baking sheet in the oven for 10 minutes. Toss the eggplant rounds evenly with 3/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a large bowl; add 1/4 cup olive oil and toss again, making sure the eggplant soaks up all the oil. Remove the hot baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil; lay out the eggplant slices in one layer. Roast until soft and golden to dark brown on the underside, about 20 minutes. Let cool. Blot dry by pressing lightly with a paper towel.
• Meanwhile, put the chickpeas in a medium bowl. Mash with a fork or a potato masher until coarsely mashed with lots of large pieces. Add the lemon zest and juice, red onion, mint, 1/2 teaspoon salt, a few grinds of pepper and the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and mix to combine.
• Assemble the sandwich by slicing the ciabatta loaf in half horizontally and lay the two halves cut-side up. Pull out some of the bread from both halves (save for another use), leaving a 1/2-inch border. Spread the hummus on both the bottom and top halves of the bread. On the bottom half, continue layering with half the chickpea mixture, the eggplant, and then the remaining chickpea mixture. Top with the cucumber, pepperoncini, shredded carrot, and the top half of the bread. Wrap tightly in parchment, wax paper or plastic wrap and tie with twine if necessary. Press 3 hours with a brick (see Cook's Note) or cast-iron skillet on top to flatten the sandwich, refrigerated. About 45 minutes before serving, bring the sandwich to room temperature.

STEAK AND HORSERADISH PRESSED SANDWICH

Steps:

• Place the flank steak in a casserole dish or baking pan. Drizzle with the Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Rub this mixture all over both sides of the flank steak and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Pre-heat a grill pan for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, mix together the mayonnaise, horseradish and whole-grain mustard in a small bowl. Set aside.
• When the grill is hot, cook the flank steak until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the middle of the steak reads 125 degrees F for medium rare, about 6 minutes per side. (Leave the grill pan over the heat.) Let the steak rest 15 minutes before slicing very thinly across the grain.
• Drizzle the onion slices with the remaining tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill the onion on both sides to char and soften, about 2 minutes per side. (Turn down the heat if they char too quickly.) Transfer to a bowl. Check seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if necessary. Cover with plastic wrap to continue softening.
• Slice the bread loaf in half horizontally and lay the two halves cut-side up. Pull out some of the bread from both halves (reserve for another use), leaving a 1/4-inch border. Spread the horseradish mayonnaise on both halves. Layer half of the arugula, then the onion and the steak on the bottom half of the loaf and season with salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes, remaining arugula, more salt and pepper and top half of the loaf. Wrap tightly in parchment, wax paper or plastic wrap and tie with twine if necessary. Press 3 hours with a brick (see Cook's Note) or cast-iron skillet on top to flatten the sandwich, refrigerated. About 45 minutes before serving, bring the sandwich to room temperature.

OVERNIGHT BRICK SANDWICH

Steps:

• Slice the focaccia lenghtwise through the center to split the loaf into halves.
• Pull out most of the soft insides of both halves of the focaccia and discard or reserve for another use.
• Spread half of the soft spreadable cheese over the insides of both bread halves, then top that with a thin spread of tapenade.
• Arrange the red peppers on top of the tapenade on only one of the bread halves. Top the peppers with the prosciutto, then the artichoke hearts, half of the provolone cheese, the sun-dried tomatoes, salami, basil, then the remaining provolone cheese.
• Top the sandwich with the other half of the bread, then wrap sandwich tightly in plastic wrap.
• Set the sandwich on a large baking sheet, then carefully set 1 or 2 bricks on top. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
• When ready to serve, unwrap the sandwich and cut crosswise into slices.
• **If your bricks are too dirty for you to feel comfortable placing them in your refrigerator, cover them in foil.

PRESSED PICNIC SANDWICH

Steps:

• Ask an adult to slice the ciabatta loaf in half lengthways and heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Put the ciabatta loaf halves, crust-side down, on a large baking tray and drizzle with a little olive oil. Pop them in the oven for a few mins until just golden and lightly toasted.
• Put the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic and mustard in a bowl, then whisk them together with a fork.
• Remove the toasted ciabatta halves from the tray and drizzle the bottom slice with about half of the dressing.
• Arrange the rest of the ingredients in layers. Start with a large handful of baby spinach, then a few artichoke hearts.
• Next add the slices of pepper, the prosciutto, basil, mozzarella and, finally, the red onion.
• Drizzle over the rest of the dressing and pop the other slice of ciabatta on top.
• Press down on the sandwich to squash all the layers together.
• Wrap the sandwich in baking parchment and tie it together with a couple of pieces of string.
• Place a heavy baking tray on top of your sandwich and top it with weights or loaf tins filled with baking beans. Pop it all in the fridge overnight or until you are ready to eat it. Cut and serve in slices for the perfect picnic snack.

PRESSED SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Make the pesto: Pulse basil, Parmesan, pine nuts, garlic, salt, and pepper in a food processor until combined. With machine running, add 1/2 cup oil in a slow, steady stream. Transfer to a small airtight container, and top with remaining oil. Pesto can be refrigerated overnight.
• Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high. (If you are using a charcoal grill, coals are ready when you can hold your hand 5 inches above grill for just 3 to 4 seconds.) Grill bell pepper, turning with tongs, until blackened all over. Place in a bag, close bag, and steam 15 minutes. Peel pepper, and discard skin.
• Lightly brush both sides of eggplant, zucchini, and summer squash with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Grill, flipping once, until golden brown and soft, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
• Pull out most of the doughy center of bread, and reserve for another use (such as breadcrumbs). Brush inside of each loaf with oil. Spread pesto over bottom half of each loaf. Top one loaf bottom with grilled vegetables and half the mozzarella; top remaining loaf bottom with prosciutto and remaining mozzarella. Sandwich top and bottom of each loaf, and press firmly. Tightly wrap each sandwich in plastic, allowing air to release before sealing. Wrap each in parchment paper, and tie with kitchen string. Place sandwiches in refrigerator, and weigh down with a heavy object (such as a Dutch oven). Refrigerate at least 2 hours (or overnight). Slice, and serve.

ANTIPASTI SANDWICH

Steps:

• Sprinkle a double layer of paper towels with salt and place zucchini on top. Sprinkle with salt and roll up like a newspaper. Let sit 10 minutes to draw out excess liquid.
• Over a low gas flame or under the broiler, roast bell pepper until skin is charred, 10 minutes, turning frequently. Place in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let sit 10 minutes. Rub bell pepper with a paper towel to remove skin, then core, discard seeds, and slice flesh into strips.
• Pull out about 2 cups bread from inside loaf halves. In a food processor, combine beans, garlic, lemon juice, and oil and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Completely cover inside of both bread halves with an even layer of bean puree.
• Arrange zucchini on bottom half of bread. Top with mortadella, parsley, roasted pepper, artichokes, Parmesan, and pepperoncini. Sandwich with top half of bread and wrap tightly in plastic. Place on a baking sheet in refrigerator. Place another baking sheet on top and weight with several heavy cans. Let sit at least 3 hours (or up to overnight). To serve, unwrap and cut into wedges with a serrated knife.

PRESSED PICNIC SANDWICH

Steps:

• Heat grill to (or a grill pan over) high, or preheat broiler. Cook peppers (on a rimmed baking sheet, if using broiler), turning frequently so all sides cook evenly, until completely charred, 10 minutes. Remove from heat, transfer peppers to a bowl, and cover with plastic. Set aside until skins loosen and peppers are cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Using your hands, rub off charred skin, rinsing your hands frequently under cold running water. Pat peppers dry. Slice peppers in half, remove seeds and stems, and cut flesh into 1-inch-wide strips.
• In a medium bowl, combine Dijon and vinegar. Gradually whisk in oil, followed by water. Season to taste with salt and pepper; set aside.
• Slice bread horizontally and scoop out soft interior (reserve for another use). Spread olive paste on bottom crust, then add peppers. Crumble goat cheese on top of peppers. Arrange artichokes over goat cheese. Drizzle half the vinaigrette (about 1/4 cup) on top. Arrange prosciutto and salami over artichokes. Scatter herbs over meats. Drizzle remaining vinaigrette (1/4 cup) over inside of top crust, then place top crust on sandwich.
• Wrap sandwich tightly with plastic. Set a weight, such as a brick or large cast-iron skillet, on top at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours. When ready to serve, slice sandwich horizontally into 6 to 8 pieces.