There’s so much to like about Matty Matheson’s first cookbook. First, there are the anecdotes of the people and experiences which have influenced his journey as a chef. The charm and wit of this Canadian chef comes through in his writing. Then there are the gorgeous photos and the recipes themselves which range from the “comfort food” recipes of his childhood (check out his Bolonga Bowl video), to more complex, chef-fy recipes developed during his career. I had a hard time choosing which to prepare. I finally settled on recreating his Tempeh Club Sandwich which turned out to be as good as the recipe and photos promised.
Tempeh is a new ingredient in Lydia’s Flexitarian Kitchen. It’s an Asian product typically made from fermented soy beans which are pressed into cake form. Other types of beans and even grains may also be used. My tempeh was made from garbanzo beans. I have to say I was really impressed with both the flavor and texture of the tempeh, no doubt it was the wonderfully complex marinade. I’m looking forward to trying tempeh in other recipes and adding it to our rotation of meatless proteins.
Matty’s Tempeh Sandwich has several components to it, with several Asian ingredients. When you bite into it you’re presented with a variety of textures and flavors.
Crunchy, soft, fresh, chewy, sweet, spicy, savory…yum!
Aside from the tempeh, there’s also an avocado whip, pickled onions, a red pepper based barbeque sauce and portobello mushrooms. I chose to omit the portobellos and substituted mashed avocado for the avocado whip.
I followed the recipe for Matty’s RRP sauce, which we really liked (makes an awesome fry sauce, too!) It makes several cups, way more than you need to make a couple sandwiches, so I’m not going to give the recipe here. Your favorite sweet/spicy/vinegary sauce will be a great substitute.
You’ll want to make the pickles and marinate the tempeh ahead of time before assembling the sandwich. Give yourself several hours if not overnight.
Ingredients
For the marinated tempeh
- 1 pack two servings tempeh sliced into sandwich sized portions
- 1/2 cup soy sauce I used tamari
- 1 cup water
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger I used the stuff in the tube
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 dried shiitake mushrooms
- 1 - 2 tablespoons sambal oelek red pepper paste; look in the Asian section of the grocery
- 3 green onions trimmed and chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For the pickled onions
- 1 large or 2 small red onions peeled and thinly sliced (I broke out the mandoline for this)
- juice of one lemon
- generous pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 - 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
For the sandwich
- Four slices of toast
- barbecue sauce
- 1 avocado mashed with a little salt
- alfalfa sprouts
- tomato slices
- lettuce I didn't use any
Instructions
Marinate the tempeh
- Preheat the oven to 350F/180C
- Mix the marinade in a baking dish (I used a loaf pan for two servings). Add the tempeh and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Transfer the tempeh to a container and spoon some of the marinade overtop. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours up to overnight.
Make the pickled onions
- Mix the vinegar, sugar, salt and lemon juice in a large bowl or a jar. Add the sliced onions and use a wooden spoon to firmly push them down into the liquid. The onions won't be completely covered, but they will release liquid as they pickle. Let stand for an hour, then refrigerate until needed. The liquid should turn pink from the onions and will deepen in color as the process continues.
Assemble the sandwich
- Preheat the oven to 450F/230C (or use the broiler). Drain the tempeh and place it on a baking tray. Heat for 5 minutes or so until the slices begin to color around the edges. Remove from oven and spread a generous amount of bbq sauce on the slices. Return to oven and heat the bbq sauce until it begins to deepen in color.
- Arrange pieces of toast on your work surface, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper.
- Spread a generous amount of mashed avocado on the bottoms. Add lettuce, tomato, tempeh, pickled onions and a handful of alfalfa sprouts. Top with another slice of bread.
Let me take a minute to sing the praises of the pickled onions, which really elevate the sandwich. They’re sweet and sharp and add to the textures. Even if you’re not into tempeh, let me encourage you to make the pickled onions and add them to a sandwich made of mashed avocado, sliced tomatoes and bean sprouts on toast. Heavenly.
Rick and I have spent some time watching Matty Matheson on YouTube. He’s very funny (and often profane, but it doesn’t bother us). Behind that big personality is someone who knows his stuff and if you pay attention you’ll learn how to take your favorite foods to another level. Many of the recipes in the videos have been included in Matty Matheson: A Cookbook.
Leave a Reply