Czechmatediary

If you dare to pronounce that “C” word (or rather the “CH” word as “CH” is an actual letter in the Czech alphabet)  in front of a Czech/Slovak person you will probably witness an immediate “Pavlov-dogs” reaction, meaning that after just a few seconds their mouth will begin to water profusely, they may also start to drool really bad. Why? Because what a good cheeseburger means to an American, chlebicky are to  a Czech. Chlebicky are Czech-style, open-faced sandwiches, but more exciting than the traditional American sandwich. What do you find in a sandwich? Ham, cheese, slice of tomato, and a peace of lettuce - very exciting, indeed (not!)! But chlebicky can be topped with pretty much anything under the sun…no strict rules there! There is however the traditional variation on this recipe which I will be presenting today:

Basic Ingredients:

• 1 Sliced French Bread/Baguette

Spread (pick any of these options)

• A/ Butter
• B/ Potato salad (click here for the recipe)
• C/ Egg spread

PS: to make the Egg spread: Mix together following diced up ingredients: 4 hard-boiled eggs, fresh chives, about 3 slices of ham, and about 2 Tbs of mayonnaise; season with salt and pepper.

Toppings (you don’t have to use all of them)

• 1/4 lb sliced up ham, turkey of chicken
• 1/4 lb sliced hard salami
• 1/4 lb sliced cheese (Swiss, Jack, Provolone..)
• sliced sweet pickles (cut them up lengthwise)
• ~ 4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
• Seasonings: paprika, parsley

Method:

1. Top every slice of bread with a spread of your choice ; IMPORTANT: lay it on thick with a fork or a spoon - do not try to press the spread down, leave it on nice and fluffy)
2. Top with 1 slice each of the toppings listed above
3. Sprinkle with paprika and parsley
4. And let the party begin!

PS: By the way,this is a really good Czech cookbook: