José Andrés' Favorite Sandwich Features A Classic Breakfast Staple

José Andrés might be famous for his world-renowned restaurants and exacting culinary standards, but the Spanish-American chef is just as well known for his joyful enthusiasm for all the world has to offer — especially food. The restaurateur, author, and humanitarian recently broke down his favorite snacks in his signature, lively style on the First We Feast YouTube channel. In addition to jokingly banning chef Andrew Zimmern from Spain and professing his undying love for potato chips, Andrés revealed that his favorite sandwich is a nostalgic throwback to his childhood in Northern Spain. Back then, his father would make him an unusual sandwich filled with tuna, tomato spread, mayonnaise, furikake, and one crucial, though unusual, breakfast staple: an omelet. "This messy imperfection was the most beautiful and tasty thing I've ever eaten," he says.

Egg sandwiches aren't unusual — bodegas, bagel shops, and fast-food joints are all well-versed in sliding eggs between two slices of bread. An omelet simply takes this approach a step further. When assembling his sandwich, Andrés' omelet appears to be a two-egg omelet with no fuss or fixings, which may be for the best given what else he adds on top.

To assemble his ideal sandwich, José Andrés starts with two slices of white bread (untoasted). To one slice, he adds a generous amount of kewpie mayonnaise. "You put mayonnaise in your life, you'll be a happy mayonnaise person," Andrés enthuses. On top of the mayonnaise goes your omelet. Next, Andrés adds a dollop of tomato sauce. Whatever you have – marinara sauce, pizza sauce, sun-dried tomato spread, even your favorite brand of ketchup – could work in a pinch. Or, if they're in season, go the fresh route and add a slice or two of heirloom tomato.

Andrés then adds three filets of canned tuna. There's a reason canned fish features in a few of his favorite snacks. "Canned culture is a good culture," he explains. "The culture is, you don't want to cook? No problem. Somebody already did the cooking for you and it's delicious." 

Staying with the oceanic theme, he then douses the tuna with furikake, a Japanese condiment that combines seaweed, fish flakes, salt, and sesame seeds into a shakeable consistency. It's a briny, salty hit that seriously wakes up anything you're eating (chef Andrés also puts it on chickpeas for another easy snack). After that, he tops his sandwich with the other slice of bread and digs in. Apparently, the sandwich is so good that he has to offer a bite to his imaginary friend. Try it yourself and see if they're right.