The perfect pre-drinking sandwich: lettuce, chorizo, tomato, avocado, cheese and a fried egg
We’ve all learned the hard way about drinking on an empty stomach: the lower-than-usual tolerance levels, feeling of emptiness and the desperate search for a McDonalds open past midnight. When I first started going out, my mum would hover around me as I ruthlessly straightened my hair, trying to get me to eat something.
Everybody’s heard the urban legends about a glass of milk and a banana, but I have always found a sandwich to be perfect for lining the stomach. The combination of carbs, protein and fats will give you a solid foundation for the many gin and tonics you will consume later on. And, if you’re really short of time, you can eat it on the way.
In recent years, I have honed the perfect pre-drinking sandwich. Although it varies slightly depending on what I have in the fridge, it will always contain the magic four ingredients: chorizo, cheese, avocado and a fried egg. It takes a little while to prepare and can be quite messy to eat (not great for the cab) but will keep you going throughout the night.
The Perfect Pre-Drinking Sandwich
2 cooking chorizo sausages, I use the small ones from Waitrose
2 slices sandwich bread
Round lettuce leaves, soft part only
½ tomato, sliced
½ avocado, sliced
2 thin slices mature cheddar
A fried egg
Remove the skins from the chorizo sausages and slice fairly thinly. Gently fry the slices in a little oil until crisp. Drain on kitchen paper and set aside.
Toast the sandwich bread and leave to cool by placing in a toast rack or propping up against something (cooling on a worktop will make the underside sweaty). Once cool, spread with butter and top one slice with the lettuce leaves.
On top of the lettuce, pile the chorizo, tomato, avocado, cheese and, finally, the fried egg. Cover with the other slice of bread.
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