I Made The Famous 'Larry David Sandwich' and It's My New Favorite Bagel Breakfast
Larry David and the Larry David Sandwich from Curb Your Enthusiasm
If you're a fan of Curb Your Enthusiasm, you're well aware of the ridiculous situations Larry David routinely finds himself in. And in episode one of the HBO show's fifth season, there's a debacle surrounding a very controversial bagel sandwich.
In the episode, Larry's eating with his father at one of his favorite delis, Leo's, which has recently named a sandwich after him. The sandwich is a combination of whitefish, sable, cream cheese and onions. Larry's dad is a fan, but Larry, on the other hand, is put off (no surprise there!). He tries to get Ted Danson to switch sandwiches with him since he's "not really a fish guy." “They’re like Siamese twins—whitefish and sable,” Larry says, trying unsuccessfully to persuade him. "That sounds awful," says Danson.
But smoked fish, cream cheese and onions is a classic combination, so could it really be that bad or was Larry's trademark grumpiness coloring everyone's opinion? In the name of science, I tried the sandwich for myself to see if it really was a terrible combo or a sleeper hit.
Get the recipe: The Larry David Bagel Sandwich
Courtesy of Jessica Wrubel
Ingredients for the Larry David Bagel Sandwich
For the sandwich, you need bagels, tomato, caper cream cheese, pickled red onions, smoked sable and whitefish salad.
Related: I Tried the Viral Chopped Bagel Sandwich and It Tastes Like It Came From a Fancy Deli
How to Make the Larry David Bagel Sandwich
Make your caper cream cheese by stirring minced capers, chopped scallions and lemon zest with cream cheese, then season with salt and pepper. Make your pickled red onions next (note: making a quick pickled onion is one of the easiest ways to amp up your meals and it's super easy).
Toast your bagels and layer on your ingredients in the following order: caper cream cheese, smoked sable, tomato, whitefish salad and pickled onions. Spread some caper cream cheese on the top bagel and close the sandwich. Wrap tightly in parchment paper and slice in half with a serrated knife. Serve with plenty of napkins.
Related: I Tried the Viral Chopped Bagel Sandwich and It Tastes Like It Came From a Fancy Deli
What I Thought of the Larry David Bagel Sandwich
Going in, I was a little leery of this sandwich because I’d never had true whitefish salad before. Growing up, I stuck to the safe bets at my grandmother‘s house during the Jewish holidays: a bagel with cream cheese and lox, some kugel and a Dr. Brown’s soda. I steered clear of the whitefish salad, mock chopped liver and gefilte fish. I'm not sure what I've been so afraid of all these years because the sable and whitefish were DELICIOUS, so much so that I'm planning to make this one on repeat.
The combination of the salty capers and bright lemon zest in the cream cheese along with the buttery sable, juicy ripe tomato and creamy whitefish make this the perfect sandwich to fuel your day.
If you're a fan of bagels with lox and cream cheese, you’re going to love this upgrade just as much as I did. One word of warning: Be prepared to make a complete mess. This is one hefty sandwich and I’m not going to pretend this was the easiest thing in the world to eat (something else that would’ve really infuriated Larry). I’m almost embarrassed to say how long it took me to clean up both my hands and face after eating this one. But to paraphrase Larry David it was all pretty, pretty, pretty worth it.
Related: I Tried Adam Sandler's Famous 'World's Greatest Sandwich' and It's My New Favorite Lunch
Courtesy of Jessica Wrubel
Tips for Making the Larry David Bagel Sandwich
Get the good bagels. This is the time to grab the very best bagels you can find. It's worth the extra time, money and effort to make sure this sandwich is as enjoyable as it can be.
Have patience sourcing your sable. I had a little bit of trouble sourcing the whitefish salad and sable at my regular grocery store, but I found both at my local Whole Foods. To save yourself some hassle, call the market before you go to make sure they have the fish.
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