If you’ve found your self with a few lingering tomatoes in your garden that don’t quite meet sandwich quality (which for me, is a high standard), Chef Ray England at Husk Charleston has a restaurant-fancy idea that’s totally doable at home: a deconstructed BLT.
“At the restaurant we compress the cabbage with cold smoked dashi and buttermilk, which is a little complicated, but at home you can do it by putting a food saver up on a box so it’s much higher than the bag and vacuum it,” he shares with Modern South. “We smoke the buttermilk in a blender using a smoking gun and dashi can be substituted with hondashi powder.”
Read on for how to make this twist on a beloved Southern classic, and whip it up for your next gathering. Tried it? Let us know!
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Deconstructed BLT
Ingredients
For the BLT Vinaigrette:
- 1 pound roasted tomatoes (about 2 cups)
- 1 ⅔ cups Moscatel vinegar white wine vinegar with a splash of sherry for sweetness will also work
- ½ tsp xanthan gum
- 1 ¾ cups warm bacon fat
- 1 ½ tbsp flaky sea salt such as Maldon
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 cups mayonnaise Duke’s or Blue Plate recommended
Salad
- ½ head cabbage thinly sliced or shaved
- Sourdough bread toasted or butter-toasted into coarse breadcrumbs
- 6–8 slices thick-cut bacon cooked until crispy and crumbled
- Cherry or garden tomatoes sliced or chunked for garnish
Instructions
- Roast the tomatoes at 400°F until softened and caramelized, about 25–30 minutes.
- In a blender, combine roasted tomatoes and vinegar; blend until smooth.
- Sprinkle in xanthan gum and blend again to thicken slightly.
- With the blender running, slowly stream in warm bacon fat until emulsified.
- Add mayonnaise, salt, and cayenne; blend until smooth and fully incorporated.
- To assemble, layer cabbage on a serving plate. Drizzle with BLT vinaigrette in a zigzag pattern.
- Top with butter-toasted sourdough crumbs, tomatoes, and crispy bacon.
