On a corner, along the inner city canals of Amsterdam, I found this little Irish shop. It was close to where I attended the publishing academy at the time. I was looking for something to eat and found a sandwich I fell in love with. I thought, at the time it was typically British as the main attraction were two typical British things: stilton cheese and Branston pickles.
I knew what Branston pickles were. Not something you would regularly see at the time in The Netherlands, and now even less, but I had worked a summer job for an importer of English delicacies, that included said Branston pickles. I did like the taste then, some years later and even now. So when I serendipitously found it in the local hyper marché in the Île de France region, I had to buy it. And make that sandwich.
Having a sandwich for lunch, especially on a bun, might be something typically Dutch. So, that British sandwich I ate then (from that Irish shop), was actually quite a European thing to begin with. I decided to make it even more of that.
The bread for the sandwich has to be soft and fluffy from the inside, with a thin crunchy crust. As I live in France now, that would describe a baguette. A simple one. The most ordinary you can find. You cut it open and spread some Branston pickles sauce on one side. Then put some blue cheese on the other. To add a different country to your plate, you could consider Gorgonzola. I used Roquefort for the one in the picture.
For a healthy touch, I added a bit of shredded kale to it. We love kale in The Netherlands and we lived in a rural area where a lot of kale was grown, so I call that the Dutch touch.
Et voilá, a nice touch of European culture on your plate. A blue-cheese-and-pickles sandwich.
Bon appetit!
Europe on a plate is a new series on Tripple Effect. Every second Tuesday of the month, I’ll be sharing food that combines several European cultures.
Help me discover Europe on a plate. Let me know what dishes you think are typically European. Or simply give me the energy to try it all.