olive oil instead of butter in sandwiches

[Soop]

It might sound obvious, but I've always disliked butter in sandwiches. And than means a good ham and swiss cheese is too dry. But a couple of weeks ago, I poured the oil from a container of olives in the sandwich, and it really made it. Got to be good for you too.

I think this is definitely the way forward. Oh, and the bread is generally a baton or ciabatta, not white sliced.

[epabella]

what's wrong with having both olive oil and butter in one sandwich? or better yet: make garlic mayo with olive oil and mustard and spread on top slice; spread thick butter on the bottom slice.

[Chemicalkinetics]

Butter in cold sandwishes is so-so, but butter in warm toast is awesome. Olive oil is definitely very nice too.

[Soop]

+1, hot buttered toast is AMAZING

[alkapal]

i think hot buttered toast is one of the foods that hits some deep-seated food satisfaction chord. the yeasty bread, the slight char from the toasting, and the sweet butter melting in to every indentation. aaaah!

[Chemicalkinetics]

I just want to say that I invented melt butter toast. :)

[alkapal]

well then, chemK, i thank you and salute you. well done!

[chef chicklet]

I do like mayo and mustard, either a little of both or one or the other. I love mustard especially the hearty mustards, perfect with a little meat on bread. Lately I've been smearing a mix of chevre and chive or finely chopped parsley instead of mayo, and I really like that too. Especially with a great slice of tomato then peppered generously, a little turkey and I'm very happy.

[perries]

Flavored olive oils (lemon, garlic, sundried tomato) are really good.

Here is a simple luscious sandwich: toast, flavored oil of your choice, hummus, tomato, dash salt and/or pepper and/or paprika.

We usually eat this open face.

[Paulustrious]

I like the oil from anchovies. I've even been known to take some and then top up the bottle of anchovies.

[aynrandgirl]

Not sure if this qualifies, but I've had some fabulous garlic bread that used olive oil instead of butter.

[visciole]

I always use olive oil instead of butter to make garlic bread. It's delicious! I mostly save my butter for baking.

[ttoommyy]

Toasted Italian bread brushed with olive oil and then "scraped" with a raw garlic clove. THAT is garlic bread. Anything else is a poor imitation.

[aynrandgirl]

Only scraping the bread? I love mine with lots of raw, hot garlic chunks.

[chef chicklet]

Well that makes really good sense, I melt the butter down with the garlic anyway. So I might as well use olive oil. It's much better for us. Thanks for the tip! I don't have to have the flavor of butter, garlic bread is more about the crispy warm bread, and garlic flavor. The butter just helps it get into the nooks and crannies. In fact I hate it when the bread is drenched with butter (usually margerine) if we're out.

There is one garlic bread that we've had out that I am rather fond of. Its blue cheese bread. The original recipe back in the day, was made with margerine and blue cheese whipped together, then smeared onto the french bread, then toasted to the point the cheese is bubbling. I would love to try this with olive oil and blue cheese. I bet it will work.

[alkapal]

i find that the oil seeps in too much with garlic bread, so i use butter -- adding to the butter minced garlic, and sometimes italian herbs.

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anyone made a garlic bread and spaghetti sandwich? ;-).

[FoodFuser]

Soop, the way to avoid soaked bread is to emulsify the olive oil.

So, take some extra virgin olive oil (or the leftover oils from those olives, anchovies, etc) and make a very strong homemade mayo (bordering to aoili) that will not soak into the bread..

[alkapal]

very cool idea, food fuser!

[Soop]

I don't use enough to soak the bread. At least it's never been a problem. Just a drizzle.

[ipsedixit]

Never butter, or mayo.

Always mustard and/or Srircha.

[tullius]

I try to use juicy veggies instead of fat. Cukes, tommies, avocado. I don't think good bread needs a schmeer but then I generally don't use crusty or toasted bread for cold sandwiches. I make a soft wheat that already has a little butter on top to make the crust tender.

[Harters]

Olive oil is often what's put on bread in countries where olive oil is a common fat.

As in the Mallorcan pa amb oli.

[pikawicca]

I would never put butter on a sandwich. I opt for mayo.

[ttoommyy]

Same here pikawicca. Or mustard. Butter???

[LauraGrace]

Yeah, me either. Mayo = yes. Butter = no. :)

[EWSflash]

Now what if you made mayo out of olive oil? That would be good. You'd have to be wanting to impress somebody, even if it's yourself, with your mad skills!

[LauraGrace]

But living in Kentucky as I do, I have access to Duke's! Makes homemade plumb unnecessary! ;)

[chef chicklet]

ditto, I have never been able to do that. I know some people that does both (my hubby) butters his bread, then slaps on the mayo. I don't' get it. He must be tasting something that I can't. He says that's the way he was raised eating sandwiches. Seems awfully fattening to me.Maybe the butter protects the bread from becoming soggy or something.

[Maximilien]

Can't stand it, it makes the bread soggy (even good ol' crusty bread or toasted/grilled)

(except maybe in an open-face sandwich that you eat with a fork and knife).

[visciole]

Thick slice of lightly toasted bread, EVOO applied carefully with a spoon, no sogginess!

[visciole]

Definitely! I love EVOO in sandwiches, it's the way to go for me, and the Italians seem to like it too ;)

[coll]

My favorite deli sandwich is an Italian hero, which is dressed with oil, vinegar, oregano and some sliced cherry peppers. Of course it has to be on Italian bread so the crust stops it from leaking through,

[alkapal]

coll, have you tried the cherry peppers with a tomato sauce, onions and chunks of fennel-ly italian sausage (served with rigatoni)? it's delicious. halve or quarter the whole peppers.

[coll]

I got a big bag of cherry peppers in the bargain bin a while back and roasted them, then pureed with some fresh herbs that are starting to come up. I've been adding a spoonful to all different kinds of dishes, including baked ziti. I've always had them brined in a jar so fresh was a revelation, boy are they hot.

[alkapal]

whew, i sure know about that heat -- even though i've only had the brined ones! the first jar i bought to make the dish i made the mistake of buying the ones labeled "hot," whereas the ones i needed were the "regular" ones -- and they are hot enough themselves!

i like your idea very much of the roasted pepper-herb puree. roasted peppers are such a treat in the summer -- and really quite easy to use to make a impressive hors d'oeuvre.

your puree i'll be would be nice in a white bean salad -- or one with chick peas. i'll bet it would perk up a bowl of black eyed peas, too!

oooh, blend it with butter to slather on a hot slice of rustic cornmeal!

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have you ever stuffed the peppers, like with herbed goat cheese -- or sardines and provolone? i have to try that.

[coll]

Just make a bunch of puree (if you can find a giant bag for $4 like me) and freeze it in 2 oz portion control cups. Then when you want some complex heat, you're good to go.

I usually stuff my cherry peppers with proscuitto and provolone, traditional around here. I must try that with fresh, I always used jarred.

[Tripeler]

Also, if the olives were Greek olives, then you had some pretty great flavor components happening. Along with a whole lotta salt, so it may not have been as "good for you" as it could have.