How About a Platter of These for Super Bowl Sunday?
Sandwiches – Oh, how I love them. I think there are 2 kinds of people who eat sandwiches: the first are those who can appreciate if it’s a good one or not, and then there are people like me who think great sandwiches are foods fit for the gods. I’m talking about a sandwich that hits on all levels: superb bread, first rate filling, and excellent condiments. No food satisfies me more than a beautiful sandwich.
With Super Bowl celebrations coming up this weekend, there’s nothing I’d rather see sitting on a big platter than a pile of really good sliders. You could make one kind or you could go all out and make the 3 variations I’m presenting. I don’t know which one is my favorite.
Of course, you could simply buy small slider rolls if you don’t have the time to make your own rolls, but the rolls can be made ahead and popped in the freezer until you’re ready to put the sandwiches together, which is what I do, and they’re so much better than any rolls you can buy. I use the recipe for my Milk Bread – one full recipe will give you 30 slider rolls. They’re so soft and fluffy that they end up being perfect for small sandwiches. Since I was making 3 different kinds of sandwiches, I topped the rolls with 3 different toppings: white sesame seeds, black sesame seeds, * and chipotle chili flakes. *
Then I got to work on the aïoli. I made a basic batch using Kenji Lopez’s technique. This is how I always make it. I use an immersion blender in a narrow container. You need the eggs and lemon juice to be at least up to the level of the blades on the immersion blender, otherwise this won’t work. Add oil, turn on the blender and it’s like magic. Everything emulsifies and you’ve got a silky gorgeous sauce in a matter of a couple of minutes. I kept the seasonings light in the basic batch, knowing I’d be adding additional flavorings later.
I then divided the aïoli into thirds and added specific seasonings and ingredients I thought would work well with each kind of sandwich. To the first I added freshly graded horseradish, hot mustard, * lemon juice, and black pepper. For the second one I stirred in some minced chipotle in adobo sauce, tomato vinegar, * and hot smoked paprika. * And for the last one I added extra mustard, lemon juice and coarsely ground toasted black mustard seeds. * The aïolis can also be made the day before.
I love something bright and sharp on a sandwich, so I quick-pickled some sliced Fresno chilies. Just stir the chilies into cider vinegar, sugar, and salt. They’ll be good in about an hour.
Then I sliced up a red onion and stirred in some ground sumac, * lemon juice, and salt. I’ve been making these onions for years ever since first seeing Ottolenghi make them years ago. They are good to go after 30 minutes and are one of those things that are so much more delicious than the sum of their parts.
Deli-sliced roast beef, the horseradish aïoli, and sumac onions went onto the black sesame * topped slider rolls. I put thinly sliced prosciutto, the black mustard seed * aïoli, and pickled chiles on the white sesame topped rolls. Then I layered on roasted mushrooms, fennel and tomatoes, along with the chipotle aïoli for the chipotle chili flake * topped rolls.
Now, a word or two about the roasted veggies. I gave this a lot of thought and decided on roasted mushrooms, fennel, and tomatoes. This combination ended up being so good I couldn’t believe it. Those 3 flavors and textures are such a delicious combo. The mushrooms are deeply flavored, the fennel slices are still a little crunchy and slightly sweet, and the tomatoes end up soft and intensely flavored after being roasted.
Folks, these are some really good sandwiches. The kind you keep talking about days after you’ve eaten them. And I encourage you to play around with them. Want both chilies and onions on your sliders, go for it. Want to only make one kind, why not? Want to add some onions or bell peppers to the pan of veggies before they go into the oven? Sure!
All I can tell you is that these sliders are memorable sandwiches. In a very good way.
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Milk Bread Sliders - 3 Ways
10
servingsI use my own Milk Bread recipe to make slider rolls. Then I fill them 3 different ways - The first is roast beef, horseradish aïoli, and sumac pickled red onions, the second is prosciutto, black mustard seed aïoli and pickled chilies, and the third is roasted veggies with chipotle aïoli. If this doesn't get your mouth watering, I don't know what will!!
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Ingredients
- Milk Bread Slider Rolls
1 recipe Renee’s Milk Bread
1 tablespoon toasted white sesame seeds
1 tablespoon toasted black sesame seeds *
- Aïoli Adapted from J.Kenji Lopez-Alt
2 large eggs at room temperature - Note that the temperature of the eggs is very important. They must not be cold from the fridge. Place them in a bowl of warm water if necessary.
2 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, divided
2 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard, divided
1 medium garlic clove, minced
2 cups neutral vegetable oil
Kosher salt
17 grams (1 1/2 tablespoons) freshly grated horseradish
1 teaspoon hot mustard *
Black pepper
1 tablespoon minced chipotle chili with 1 teaspoon adobo sauce
1 teaspoon tomato vinegar
1/2 teaspoon hot smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds, toasted for one minute in a dry skillet, and coarsely ground
- Yotam Ottolenghi's Sumac Pickled Red Onions
1 mediuim red onion, sliced into thin half moons
1 1/2 teaspoons ground sumac *
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
pinch kosher salt
- Pickled Fresno Chilies
Stir together all the ingredients in a small bowl or jar, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 3 or 4 days before serving.
- Roasted Vegetables
8 ounces crimini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thickly
1 small fennel bulb, sliced into very thin (about 1/8 inch thick) wedges, reserving some of the delicate frond leaves for garnish
2 medium tomatoes, each sliced into 6 wedges
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
Black pepper
- Sliders
1 pound thinly sliced deli roast beef
3/4 pound very thinly sliced prosciutto
Roasted vegetables (see recipe above)
Directions
- Milk Bread Slider Rolls
- Follow the directions in the recipe for Renee's Milk Bread through step 4. Gently deflate the dough and divide it into 30 pieces (46 - 47 grams each). Working with one piece at a time, pull the edges toward the center, pinching them together. Place it pinched side down on a lightly oiled counter. Cup your hand around the ball and rotate the ball in a circular motion until you have a nice round shape. Place on 2 parchment lined sheet pans. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rise for 45 minutes. Brush with egg wash made with 1 large egg and 1 tablespoon cold water and sprinkle one third of the rolls with white sesame seeds, another third with black sesame seeds ,* and the final third with chipotle chili flakes .*
- In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350° with a rack in the center. Bake the pan of rolls you shaped first for 18 minutes. Remove from the oven and place the second pan of rolls in to bake. Let the baked rolls cool for 5 minutes or so (until you can easily handle them comfortably). Remove the rolls to a rack to cool completely. Repeat with the second pan of rolls. They can be eaten as soon as they’re fully cooled or you can pop them into a ziploc and freeze them until you’re ready to eat them. Let them thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes and they’ll be good to go or reheat briefly in the microwave.
- Aïoli Adapted from J. Kenji Lopez-Alt
- Place the eggs, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, and garlic in a container that will just fit the head of your immersion blender. The egg mixture must reach to the top of the blades on the blender in order for this to work. Pour the oil in the container and let it rest for 15 seconds. Place the blender into the container and turn it on high. Do not lift or pulse the blender. The aïoli should start to emulsify almost immediately. It’s okay to move the blender around some once it starts emulsifying. Continue blending until you have a beautifully smooth and emulsified sauce. Season with salt. Divide the aïoli into thirds and place in small bowls.
- Add the horseradish, hot mustard ,* 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and several grinds of black pepper to one bowl of aïoli. Stir and taste for salt. Cover and place in the refrigerator.
- In the second bowl of aïoli, stir in the chipotle chili and adobo sauce, tomato vinegar, * and hot smoked paprika. * Taste for salt, cover and refrigerate.
- To the third bowl of aïoli, stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and the black mustard seeds. * Taste for salt, cover and refrigerate.
- Yotam Ottolenghi’s Sumac Pickled Red Onions
- Stir together all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 2 days before serving.
- Pickled Fresno Chilies
- Stir together all the ingredients in a small bowl or jar, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 3 or 4 days before serving.
- Roasted Vegetables
- Preheat oven to 425° with a rack in the center. Line a 13 inch x 18 inch sheet pan with parchment paper. Place the mushrooms, fennel wedges, and tomatoes on the sheet pan. Drizzle with the olive oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes, or until the mushrooms are nicely browned. Set aside to cool.
- Sliders
- Slice 10 white sesame milk bread rolls in half and spread the bottoms with some of the horseradish aïoli. Layer on a couple slices of roast beef, a few slices of sumac onions and top with a dollop of the horseradish aïoli. Place the lid of the roll on top, serve, and Enjoy!
- Slice 10 black sesame milk bread rolls in half and spread the bottoms with some of the black mustard seed aïoli. Layer on slices of prosciutto, a few pickled chiles, and a dollop of the black mustard seed aïoli. Place the lid of the roll on top, serve, and Enjoy!
- Slice 10 chipotle chili flake milk bread rolls in half and spread the bottoms with the chipotle aïoli. Divide the veggies evenly between the rolls. Add a dollop of chipotle aïoli and the optional fennel leaves. Place the lid on top, serve, and Enjoy!