Bistro Reuben Sandwich With Three-Mustard Aioli

October 6, 1999

1 to 2 pounds thinly sliced corned beef (homemade or the best store-bought)

12 slices rye bread

1-1/2 cups sauerkraut

6 large slices Jarlsberg or other Swiss cheese

1/3 cup Three-Mustard Aioli (recipe below)

1/4 cup unsalted butter

To prepare the sandwiches, distribute the corned beef among 6 slices of bread. Top the meat with sauerkraut and a slice of cheese. Spread one side of each of the remaining slices of bread with aioli and place the slices on the sandwiches.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a very large saut pan over medium-high heat. Add three of the sandwiches and cook on each side until brown, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and keep warm while cooking the remaining 3 sandwiches in the same manner. Cut the sandwiches in half and serve warm. Serves 6.

THREE-MUSTARD AIOLI

Aioli is delicious on a sandwich or drizzled over broth-style soups to perk up the flavor.

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard

2 tablespoons green peppercorn mustard

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

2 anchovy fillets

2 cloves garlic

2 egg yolks

1-1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the lemon juice, mustards, vinegar, anchovies, garlic, and egg yolks in a food processor. Process until smooth. With the motor running, drizzle the olive oil through the feed tube until the aioli is thick and smooth. Season to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use. Makes about 2 cups.

- Recipes adapted from 'Caprial's Soups & Sandwiches' (Ten Speed Press)

(c) Copyright 1999. The Christian Science Publishing Society