Of the almost infinite possibilities suggested by the technique of putting something between two chunks of bread, one Edwardian great stands top-hat, head and shoulders above the rest
Wed 7 Apr 2010 09.00 BST First published on Wed 7 Apr 2010 09.00 BST
You'll need your choice of crusty loaf, a couple of good steaks - these are rib-eyes - roughly the same shape in plan as the loaf, 500g of mushrooms and 200g of shallotsPhotograph: Tim Hayward Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Slice off the top quarter of the loaf, hook out most of the crumb and save for breadcrumbsPhotograph: Tim Hayward Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Cut your shallots and mushrooms into fine dice and put about 75g of butter into the pan. I got lucky and had a similar quantity of bone marrow left over in the fridgePhotograph: Tim Hayward Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Cook mushrooms and shallots in the butter until they've softened, reduced in size and lost a substantial amount of moisture. Once they're done, season to your taste. I used plenty of salt and black pepper, some finely grated garlic a shot of brandy and a splash of Worcestershire sauce. Those fearing scurvy might add some chopped parsley tooPhotograph: Tim Hayward Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Season your steaks and bring them to the pink side of medium in a searing hot dry panPhotograph: Tim Hayward Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Don't bother resting the steaks. Work fast and tuck the first one, dripping and hot, straight into the bottom of the hollow loafPhotograph: Tim Hayward Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Tuck your second steak over the mushrooms. At this stage I usually smear hot horseradish on the top steak and Dijon mustard on the inside of the lidPhotograph: Tim Hayward Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Wrap in greaseproof paper and tie with butcher's string like this. Then wrap in two layers of foil and smush flat under a heavy cutting board and as many weights as you can findPhotograph: Tim Hayward Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Leave under the weights in a reasonably cool place (don't refrigerate) for at least six hours or preferably overnight. Remove the foil and cut through string, paper and sandwichPhotograph: Tim Hayward Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Serve sliced like cake accompanied by something vaguely vegetable-based to assuage the guiltPhotograph: Tim Hayward Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
