BLT Croissants with Maggi-Lime Mayo

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

The BLT that Vietnamese-American bakeries do better than anyone: a buttery croissant instead of sliced bread, oven-baked bacon that lies perfectly flat, and salted tomato slices that taste like summer instead of water. A splash of Maggi seasoning and lime in the mayo is the quiet bakery-counter trick that makes it taste like more than the sum of its parts.

Ingredients

• 12 slices thick-cut bacon
• 2 large ripe tomatoes, cored
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, for the tomatoes

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tsp Maggi seasoning sauce (or soy sauce)
• 2 tsp fresh lime juice
• 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

• 4 large bakery croissants
• 4 leaves green leaf or butter lettuce, torn to fit
• 1/3 cup cilantro sprigs, thick stems removed (optional)
• to taste flaky salt and black pepper, for finishing

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400°F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Lay the bacon slices flat in a single layer, not touching — use two sheets if needed rather than overlapping, since overlapped bacon curls and won't layer neatly in the sandwich.
2. Bake the bacon 18 to 22 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until it is deep brown and stiff at the edges but still flat. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate; it crisps further as it cools. Leave the oven on.
3. While the bacon bakes, slice the tomatoes 1/4 inch thick, lay them on a paper-towel-lined plate or a wire rack, and sprinkle both sides with the 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Let them sit at least 10 minutes — the salt pulls out watery juice so the croissant stays crisp and the tomato flavor concentrates. Blot the tops dry just before building.
4. Whisk the mayonnaise, Maggi seasoning, lime juice, sugar, black pepper, and cayenne in a small bowl until smooth. Taste and add a few more drops of lime if it needs brightness.
5. Split the croissants horizontally with a serrated knife. Place them cut side up directly on the oven rack or a second sheet pan and warm 3 to 4 minutes, just until the cut faces are lightly toasted and the layers smell nutty. Do not let them darken.
6. Spread the Maggi-lime mayo generously on both cut faces of each croissant while they're still warm. Lay lettuce on the bottom half first — it acts as a moisture barrier — then the blotted tomato slices, a small shower of flaky salt and pepper, then 3 slices of bacon broken into flat lengths so they cover the whole surface in an even layer.
7. Tuck cilantro sprigs over the bacon if using, set the top half on, press gently, and cut each croissant in half on a diagonal. Serve immediately, while the bacon is still crisp and the croissant warm.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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