If we are friends you have probably received some pretty weird texts.  Overly long messages consisting of ramblings about white chocolate, pretzels, and sea salt and the concept of shoving all three of those wonderful things into perfectly innocent Rice Krispy treats.  If you’re my sister you have definitely received the occasional horrifying picture of my insanely poofy morning hair, and maybe a couple pictures of my Pinterest makeup attempts that somehow all end up looking the same.  

If we are friends you may have a received an overly enthusiastic text recently declaring my excitement at my successful attempt at roasted garlic mayonnaise. 

I had never made mayonnaise before, probably because it is a condiment that I rarely use, but I was absolutely ecstatic when it turned out perfectly on the first attempt.  If you have never made homemade mayonnaise before, you should jump on this garlicky bandwagon.  Homemade mayonnaise is so ridiculously easy and so much better than the store-bought stuff!

My homemade roasted garlic mayonnaise made its debut on a classic sandwich which I jazzed up a bit with some roasted cherry tomatoes.  

The humble BLT is so often a disappointing assemblage of underripe tomatoes, soggy, subpar bread, and way too much lettuce.  It’s sad really, because the BLT is a classic combination that is by every definition a fantastic sandwich, if it is executed properly and maybe modernized just the tiniest bit.

Our sandwichery (see what I did there?) begins with cherry tomatoes.  I tossed my tomatoes with a generous dose of olive oil and salt - and into the oven they went!  

I love roasted tomatoes.  The flavor is deeper, and the heat really brings out their natural sweetness. 

Next, the bacon.  Bacon does not need our help.  Just lay your rashers out on a sheet pan and let the oven do the work.  In about 10 minutes your kitchen will smell like a diner...in a good way.  

Try not to eat all the bacon before it gets to the sandwich.  I know, it’s hard.

We begin by roasting our garlic.  This recipe really puts your oven to work!

Did I mention that I roasted the garlic in the leftover bacon grease?  Yeah…you're welcome. 

Isn’t it pretty?  I think the roasted garlic smells almost as wonderful as the bacon.  

If you have a food processor mayonnaise is a cinch!  First, we roughly puree our roasted garlic.  We add one egg yolk, a bit of sugar, vinegar and lemon juice.  I love that this recipe can be made with things you generally find in your pantry.

Emulsion time!  With the food processor spinning, slowly drizzle in the vegetable oil.  Do not try to rush this, seriously.  Your emulsion can go from perfect to ruined very quickly if you try to rush.  Just take your time and allow the oil to incorporate itself slowly into the garlic mixture.  

In about five minutes you will have made your own mayonnaise.  Look at that!  It’s sweet, tangy, and garlicky.

Now it’s time to assemble.  Mayonnaise on both slices of bread.  Yes, both sides.  This sandwich is really all about the mayonnaise.  

Roasted tomatoes, a bit of romaine, and a whole lot of bacon.  Don’t be stingy.

Ta-da!  The homemade mayonnaise and roasted tomatoes really elevate this classic sandwich.

 One of best things about this sandwich is that all of the elements can be prepared ahead of time!  The roasted tomatoes, mayonnaise and even the bacon can all be placed in the fridge until you are ready to assemble your sandwich!  

Let’s welcome the humble BLT into our Wednesday!

Sincerely, 

   Pedantic Foodie

Roasted Tomato BLTs with Roasted Garlic Mayonnaise 

makes 4 sandwiches / mayonnaise recipe adapted from Alton Brown

for the sandwich 

• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 10 ounces cherry tomatoes 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• freshly ground black pepper
• 12-16 slices of bacon (Definitely go for 16, it’s bacon after all!)
• 8 slices of your favorite bread*, lightly toasted 
• 4 leaves romaine lettuce 

Preheat your oven to 475 degrees. 

In a medium bowl combine olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Toss in the cherry tomatoes, mixing until they are fully coated in the oil.  Spread the tomatoes out onto a sheet pan and place in the oven.  Roast for 20 minutes or until the tomatoes have begun to burst. 

Allow the roasted tomatoes to cool while you prepare the other elements of the sandwich. 

Reduce the oven temperature to 450 degrees.

Lay the bacon out unto a baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes, until the bacon is crisp.  

Remove the bacon from the pan and place on a cooling rack, reserving the rendered bacon grease.  While the bacon cools, prepare the mayonnaise. 

*I used a country Italian loaf for this application, but whatever suits you best will be just fine.  Just make sure that your bread is robust enough to hold up to all the yumminess that we are going to shove between it!

for the mayonnaise

• 10 garlic cloves, peeled  
• 1 egg yolk*
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar 
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar 
• 1 1/2-2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 
• 1 cup vegetable oil

Toss the garlic cloves in the bacon grease and bake at 450 for 15-20 minutes, until the cloves have softened and caramelized.  

Transfer the roasted garlic to the work bowl of your food processor and pulse until the garlic is roughly pureed, but is still somewhat chunky.  Add the egg yolk, sugar, vinegar, and lemon juice and pulse until well combined. 

With the food processor spinning, slowly drizzle in the vegetable oil, working slowly.  Once all the oil has been incorporated, removed the mayonnaise from the work bowl and refrigerate until ready to use. 

To assemble: Spread mayonnaise on each slice of toasted bread.  Top with roasted tomatoes, bacon, and lettuce.  Serve immediately.  Enjoy!

*Make sure that your eggs are fresh and from a reliable source.  The egg will be raw in this application, but there is nothing to be concerned about as long as you purchase fresh eggs.  If you are still concerned, you can certainly use pasteurized eggs.