101 Sandwiches

Queen Alexandra’s Sandwich
In 1863, Alexandra of Denmark married the British Edward VII and became Queen of Great Britain. Result. She is said to have had a soft spot for these intensely savory sandwiches consisting of poached chicken, boiled tongue, and a mustard-laced butter. It is essential to remove the crusts before serving; these sandwiches need to be dainty enough for a queen. If you’re feeling generous, give the leftover crusts to the poor.

The Elvis
Elvis Presley, “The King” of rock ‘n’ roll, surely needs no introduction. He was renowned for loving his high-calorie snacks, especially when cooked by his mother. Aww. This, apparently, was his favorite sandwich: a sweet and salty combination of peanut butter, banana, and sizzling streaky bacon. Elvis clearly wasn’t a man to do things by halves, however, so the sandwich, once built, was reputedly fried in butter.

Pan Bagnat
Pan bagnat is a Niçoise specialty, comprising a hollowed-out loaf stuffed with hard-boiled eggs, salad, and a fishy mixture of tuna, all laced with silvery anchovies. A sharp mustardy vinaigrette is poured over the whole thing before it is wrapped and pressed.

Man’oushe
The man’oushe is a Lebanese flatbread, which is smeared with za’atar—a heady mixture of predominantly sesame seeds and thyme, among other ingredients (in fact, the word “za’atar” means “thyme” in Arabic). The still-warm flatbread is rolled up around various fillings: sprightly fresh herbs like mint and parsley, crunchy pickled turnips, studs of finely chopped onion, and creamy labneh (strained yogurt).
The man’oushe is often referred to as “Lebanese pizza,” but here I’m busting out the artistic license and calling it a wrap, which makes it a sandwich (the same dirty trick can be pulled with lahmacun, or “Turkish pizza”—just wrap it around similar fillings).

Vada Pav
Of Maharashtrian origin, the vada pav is a very popular Indian street food snack, consisting of spiced deep fried potato, garnished with various chutneys. The credit for invention often goes to a man named Ashok Vaidy

Cucumber Finger Sandwiches
Makes 6
INGREDIENTS
¼ cucumber
Sea salt, for sprinkling
Lemon juice, to taste
4 slices white bread, thinly cut
Butter, at room temperature

Radish and Anchovy Butter Finger Sandwiches
Makes 6
INGREDIENTS
3 canned anchovy fillets, drained
1 tbsp (15g) butter, at room temperature
4 slices white bread, thinly cut

Egg and Cress Finger Sandwiches
Makes 6
INGREDIENTS
2 cold hard-boiled eggs
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp snipped fresh chives
3 pinches of salad cress
Sea salt to taste and a pinch of white pepper
4 slices white bread, thinly cut

English Tea Sandwiches
The daintiest of all sandwiches are those served at afternoon tea. We can thank the 7th Duchess of Bedford, Anna Maria Stanhope, for their invention; she hit upon the idea of nibbling a light morsel to see her through from lunch to the evening meal, which in those days (mid-1800s) wasn’t eaten until 8pm.

The Reuben
As already noted, when something turns out to be incredibly popular, several people often want to step in and take the credit for it. Funny that.