There comes a time when the day is long and shuttering storefronts break the quiet of the evening. Maybe it isn’t dark yet, but it will be soon. Anyway, it’s cold, or looks like it is, and the light outside is orange and blue.
Only the sandwich shop is open, the one with the suspicious meat. This is when you will probably meet the french fry sandwich.
So simple it almost doesn’t exist, french fry sandwiches are the kind of food that you eat by accident. In Beirut they can either be folded hero-style in frangieh bread or wrapped like a burrito in thin rounds of Lebanese pita. It doesn’t have to be this way though. There are no actual rules.
But this is a very specific sandwich, to be clear. The french fry sandwich should not be mistaken for a Chip Butty. Fries, bread and butter on bread is a homonym – not even a cousin – of what I am talking about.
The key, as always, is freshness. Freshness and ketchup. Specifically, crispiness and ketchup. Floppy potatoes will work in a pinch but will yield something closer to potato salad than a true french fry sandwich. Crispy potatoes, on the other hand, wear a skin of ketchup while maintaining a muted crunch.
Coleslaw is unimportant but essential. As long as it’s in the realm of standard it’s perfect. The idea is to add some creamy and sweetness to offset the starch from the fries and the tang from the ketchup. The earthiness of cabbage that hangs out on the back of your tongue also gives the sandwich depth.
Lebanese pickles, not the kind you find in New York diners, are also requisite. Extra briny, they serve to add freshness and crunch. Too many will kill a sandwich, however, so be careful.
There is also the char. While not necessary, a sandwich marked with the smoky lines of a grill is much better than one made on cold bread. This should be obvious.
Sometimes they will try to add toum. I always say no, but you don’t have to.
Your stomach might be angry afterward. Do not be alarmed. This is part of the experience.
You should also hate yourself a little. It’s the kind of sandwich that keeps you humble.
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