Make the Bikini, Barcelona’s Favorite Sandwich, at Home

When you ask for a bikini in Barcelona or other towns in the Catalonia region of Spain, you’ll get a pressed toasted sandwich, usually with ham and cheese. At New York City’s Ernesto’s, chef Ryan Bartlow offers his version, the Bikini Hemingway, which calls for sliced poached shrimp and Txistorra sausage to be topped with Mahon cheese, and pressed into a toasted sandwich. It’s drizzled with honey after it cooks for a delicious combination of flavors. This recipe can be easily multiplied as needed; prepare a batch and host your own Spanish cocktail and tapas party.

Frequently asked questions

What is pan de cristal?

Pan de cristal is a Spanish bread from the Catalan region. It is also known as “glass bread,” for its wonderfully crisp crust and open crumb. 

What is Txistorra sausage?

Txistorra sausage is a type of Spanish chorizo. It is made with pork and sometimes beef, and seasoned with garlic and paprika. If you are unable to find it as a paste, blend it yourself. Slice down the middle of a stick of Txistorra or Spanish chorizo (such as Despana). Peel the casing off and discard it. Break the sausage into pieces, transfer to a food processor, and process until smooth, about one minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed (it’s okay if you have a little more than 1/3 cup o the spread). 

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

It’s important to press this sandwich down while toasting it, so we placed a heavy skillet on top (if you like, place a piece of parchment paper between the sandwich and the skillet on top). You can also press it in a panini press, and then finish it in the oven. 

This sandwich calls for poached shrimp. You can purchase shrimp that has been poached to use in this recipe. To poach it yourself: Combine one cup water and two tablespoons fresh lemon juice in a pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the shrimp and cover the pot. Remove the pot from the heat and poach the shrimp until they are just firm, two to four minutes. Transfer the shrimp to an ice bath using a slotted spoon and let them cool for two minutes. Drain well.

Make ahead

You can make several components of the sandwich ahead of time. The shrimp can be poached a day ahead of time, and the sausage can be ground up to three days before use. The sandwich can be built ahead of time, wrapped in plastic, and cooked when you are ready to eat.