Artichoke Omelette and Basil Pesto Ciabatta Sandwich
The inspiration for this sandwich comes from a lady who has been reading through almost all of my eat in my kitchen recipes in the past few weeks. She truly impressed me, not only because she soaked up hundreds of posts and stories, she also cooked many of the recipes in her kitchen and sent me the sweetest comments. We've never met, but here, on these pages, we share our passionate love for food.
A couple weeks ago, I found out that she loves to cook with artichokes as much as I do and she told me about an omelette she makes with the preserved vegetable. This genius idea never crossed my mind but when she mentioned it I knew instantly that I would turn this dish into a sandwich. I'm a big fan of juicy omelette sandwiches and I also love to sprinkle my bread with pesto, so this seemed like the perfect occasion to combine both treats. In the end, I also stuffed lots of fresh basil and rocket leaves inside the spongy ciabatta which added a fragrant Mediterranean flavour to the hearty eggs. It was fantastic, thank you, lady!
Artichoke Omelette Ciabatta Sandwich with Basil Pesto
For 3-4 sandwiches you need
For the pesto
fresh basil leaves 20g / 3/4oz
fresh mint leaves 2
pine nuts 1 tablespoon
Parmesan, freshly grated, 2 tablespoons
garlic, crushed, 1 small clove
olive oil 50ml / 1/4 cup
salt
Mix the ingredients for the pesto in a blender and season to taste.
For the omelette
organic eggs 3
heavy cream 50ml / 1/4 cup
freshly grated nutmeg
salt and pepper
large preserved artichoke hearts, quartered, 2
butter 1 heaping teaspoon
For the omelette, whisk the eggs, cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Heat half the butter in a small pan and sear the artichokes on high heat for about 2 minutes or until golden brown. Add the remaining butter and pour the egg mixture over the artichokes. Scramble very lightly and fold onto itself. When the bottom side starts to become golden flip it around. Brown it lightly from the other side for about a minute. Take the pan off the heat and cut the omelette into large chunks.
For the sandwich
medium ciabatta bread, cut into 3-4 buns
rocket (arugula) leaves, a small handful
fresh basil leaves 12
black peppercorns, crushed in a mortar
Lay a few rocket leaves on the bottom side of each sandwich, arrange the omelette on top and sprinkle with pesto, fresh basil leaves and crushed pepper. Close the sandwich and enjoy!
Chanterelle, King Trumpet Mushroom and Thyme Omelette Sandwich
When I cook mushrooms in my kitchen, they never stay on the cooker for long. I can only eat them under one condition, they must have some bite! I can't stand mushrooms when they're soft and soggy, I'm really picky with this. Sometimes it's seconds that make or break it and here, that's the case!
Luckily, that wasn't an issue for today's sandwich. I got a handful of golden chanterelle and king trumpet mushrooms from the market, they looked fresh and crisp with strong ridges. They were an alternative as I couldn't find good quality porcini but I didn't regret it. I sautéed the two kinds of mushrooms separately and quickly, cut in half in a spoonful of butter. They tasted just as strong and earthy as a nice porcini and went extremely well with the omelette, the second addition to my sandwich which is just as delicate when it comes to the cooking time. I whipped the eggs with cream to achieve a nice light fluffiness and browned them lightly in butter while I folded the mixture into an airy omelette mixed with fresh thyme.
After the past few weeks and the rather luscious sandwiches with crayfish and beetroot, caramelized plums and sausage and lamb filet with lemon and capers, I needed a simple and clean autumn version, just eggs, mushrooms and thyme!
Chanterelle, King Trumpet Mushroom and Omelette Sandwich
For 3-4 sandwiches you need
white buns, cut in half, 3-4
mushrooms (porcini, chanterelles, king trumpet or a mixture), rinsed, dried and cut in half (lengthwise), 200g / 7 ounces
organic eggs 3
heavy cream (or milk) 50ml / 2 ounces
leaves of fresh thyme 1 tablespoon
salt and pepper
butter 3 tablespoons
If you have different kinds of mushrooms, cook them separately.
In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons of butter and sauté the mushrooms for about 2 minutes on medium-high heat until golden brown on both sides (al dente). Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Whisk the eggs and cream with a pinch of salt, pepper and the thyme. In a non-stick pan, heat a tablespoon of butter and pour in the egg mixture, scramble lightly and fold onto itself. When the bottom side starts to become golden flip it around. Brown it lightly from the other side for about a minute.
Cut the omelette into 3 or 4 pieces and divide between the buns. Put the mushrooms on top of the eggs, sprinkle with a few fresh leaves of thyme and close the buns.
