Smoked salmon BLTs

 Sitting on a patio in warm sun, with a cooling lake breeze. Fine people watching, really tasty food. Bonus points for a good beer or wine list and a view. That's pretty much my definition of peak travel perfection, the scene that lingers in memory far longer than anything I read on a historic site plaque.

The cautious return to travel means the return of souvenirs, something besides photos to help you place yourself in that spot in memory. Some people who travel collect state tea towels, snowglobes or shot glasses. Most of our souvenirs are consumable, either brewvenirs or readily transportable food. It's ephemeral, but nothing reminds me more of a particular place than a particular meal in that place.

One the way back from Grand Marais, we stopped in Duluth and joined the lunch line at Canal Park Brewing. We greatly enjoyed the smoked salmon BLTs, along with their admirable beers. So when I got home I made this take on the sandwich, using smoked salmon we'd bought at the reopened Dockside Fish Market in Grand Marais and some Thielen's bacon.

Smoked salmon BLTs
Adapted from the menu at Canal Park Brewery.

Ingredients
4 strips bacon
¼ pound smoked salmon, sliced in half into thin slabs
2 brioche buns or bread of your choice
Guacamole
Sun-dried tomato aioli (see recipe)
1 medium tomato, sliced, lightly sprinkled with salt and pepper
½ a small red onion, thinly sliced
Leaf lettuce

Method
Cook bacon until browned and crisp. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Cut each slice in half.

Over low heat, sauté onion in bacon fat briefly to just slightly soften. Remove from pan and set aside.

Wipe out most of the remaining bacon fat. Toast cut sides of buns in pan. Remove pan from heat and transfer buns to plates.

Spread cut side of the bottom half of buns with guacamole. Spread cut side of the top half of buns with sun-dried tomato aioli. Place four bacon halves on each bottom bun, then top with salmon, tomatoes, onions and lettuce before capping with top half of bun.

Rating: Fabulous. So, so good. Transported us right back to that meal on the North Shore.

 

Sun-dried tomato aioli
Adapted from “Rustic Joyful Food Meant to Share” by Danielle Kartes

Ingredients
1 cup mayonnaise
⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes
⅓ cup Parmesan
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic

Method
Mix ingredients well. If you want a smoother mixture, you can mix it briefly in the food processor. It works well either way.

Rating: It was fine as written but I liked it better when I added garlic and reduced the amount of Parmesan involved. I think it’s better when it’s made a day ahead and has more time for the flavors to meld. Very versatile; great on a sliced beef sandwich with pickled onions and arugula.