tomato sandwich à la piccata

a briny and fresh little way to upgrade a simple summer sandwich

this week’s recipe is an easy little upgrade on the classic tomato sandwich inspired by none other than the flavors of chicken piccata, namely lemon, capers, and parsley. it’s a super easy and delicious way to eat more of what we all look forward to every summer: amazing tomatoes. it’s also a sandwich, meaning it’s quick, no cook and light, so hot summer days are no excuse.

i made this recipe with a smaller variety of tomato (the kakao tomato) instead of bigger beefsteak or heirlooms, because i love that one single tomato made one single sandwich. you can use one or two slices of a larger variety or, if you can’t find kakao tomatoes, you can also use a regular tomato, just make sure it’s one you would be happy eating on its own; the last thing you want is to use hard, flavorless, or mealy tomatoes for this sandwich.

the sandwich on a baguette; sliced kakao tomatoes; in progress on white bread

this recipe is as simple and straightforward as they come, but when testing i tried lots of variations. one of the things i tried and loved when making this sandwich on a baguette didn’t make the cut as the final version, but is nonetheless worth sharing (imho): melt a little bit of butter and olive oil together in a small frying pan and sizzle up a clove of finely grated garlic and the capers until fragrant and starting to turn golden or split open. carefully pour that over the inside of the baguette before spreading with the mayo and mustard. this garlicky, fried caper butter adds another layer of flavor and makes the whole sandwich a bit richer and arguably a bit more piccata-like. i also shove whole parsley sprigs in this version of the sandwich, but you can just use the leaves if you prefer.

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makes 1 sandwich

2 slices soft white bread (substitute: 1/4 or 1/2 baguette)

2 tablespoons mayonnaise (i prefer kewpie for ever and always)

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 lemon

1 tablespoon capers

1 kakao tomato (substitute: 1 or 2 slices of a beefsteak or heirloom tomato)

2 sprigs parsley

flaky salt and black pepper

potato chips for serving, if desired

1. lay the sandwich bread out on a cutting board or plate; if using a baguette, slice it in half, making sure not to cut all the way through the back so there’s a hinge. slice the tomato.

2. divide the mayo and mustard between the two slices of bread and spread from edge to edge. zest the lemon over the top, just until there’s a nice amount across both slices (you’re not going to zest the whole lemon here). sprinkle the capers over one side of the bread and pluck the parsley leaves off the stems and place on the caper-less side.

3. place the tomatoes over the capers and season well with flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper. invert the parsley slice over the top of the tomatoes, stuffing any stray parsley back into the sandwich. wrap, if desired, before slicing in half and serving immediately, preferably with potato chips.