Riding on the wave of my last post, where I disclosed my hubby’s peculiar fondness for dolloping peanut butter in his cheeseburgers, I decided to explore more deeply, this pairing of the saltiness of meat together with peanut butter. It brought me back in time, to a possibly better time when bell-bottoms were très chic, when there was glory in the excess, when Elvis sang, and dearly loved a peanut butter, bacon and banana sandwich.
Most people I spoke with about this sandwich idea made faces I wouldn’t soon forget. But it isn’t that inconceivable really, considering we love bacon with our maple syrup-soaked pancakes. Plus, most of us are already familiar with the more PG combo of honey, banana and peanut butter (pictured below), which my hubby heartily devoured as his lunch the other day. But when I mentioned that I’d be including crispy bacon the next time I make it, he was so delirious he almost fell off his chair.
I hate to admit this on a food blog, but I’ve been off pork for two years (I developed an aversion to the meat since I was expecting my daughter C) despite it having been one of my favourite meats before she was conceived. Nonetheless, for the greater purpose of this post, I made two proper Elvises (main picture) and ate it with my hubby. I didn’t expect to enjoy it because I feared it would be overwhelmingly porky, but the salty bacon juxtaposed with the warm peanut butter and oozy banana, created a symphony unlike any other in my mouth. There were crunchy, creamy, savoury, sticky, sweet elements in every mouthful. It was immensely satisfying and enjoyable (partly attributed to the guilt of eating something so sinful), to say the least.
It’s not everyday that I recommend this, but you might want to use the trashiest white supermarket loaf you can find for this sandwich, because I don’t think Elvis was the kind of guy who worried if his fibre intake for the day was optimal. Unfortunately I didn’t have any on hand and my multi-grain slices made me feel like I’d done injustice to the man himself. Inauthenticity aside, it is still a darn good meal, best eaten just as it comes off the stove, hunched over the kitchen counter, in solitude, save for an ice cold beer.
The Elvis Sandwich (serves 1)
2 slices white bread, preferably thickly sliced
1 tbsp smooth peanut butter
½ banana, sliced
2 rashers of streaky bacon, cooked till crispy
1 tsp runny honey (or more, depending on the sweetness of the banana)
2 tsp butter
Spread peanut butter on one slice of bread.
Spread honey over peanut butter.
Layer over the sliced banana.
Lay the rashers of bacon over.
Sandwich with other slice of bread. Spread butter evenly on outside of both slices of bread. Brown in a panini press, or toast in a hot pan one side at a time.
About Dawn Chia
Dawn, a lanky food-crazed lady, started out writing for lifestyle magazines, and later spent several years in banking. When not eating, she's cooking, reading about, hankering after, and writing about food. On her first date with her boyfriend (now husband), they dined at four restaurants across Singapore. He's gained 25lbs since, and their culinary escapades continue after welcoming two rotund angels. Dawn's committed to feeding them with the best, and creating lasting food memories and traditions for her family.
