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Gatsby South African Sandwich
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Home / Gatsby South African Sandwich

Gatsby South African Sandwich

The Gatsby is a legendary South African sandwich originating from Cape Town that stuffs an entire loaf of bread with hot chips, a protein like polony or steak, and tangy sauces for a communal feast. It is so large that it is traditionally shared between four people and celebrated as a true street food icon.

4.5
35 min
🍴4 servings
🔥580 cal
🔖Easy
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30 second summary

A massive Cape Town street food sandwich stuffed with chips, polony, and tangy sauces meant for sharing.

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Nutrition per serving

580Calories
22gProtein
72gCarbs
22gFat
5gFiber

Ingredients

4servings

Bread

Protein

Vegetables

Condiments

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Instructions

1

Cook the French Fries

Bake or fry the French fries according to package instructions until golden brown and very crispy. Season generously with salt immediately after cooking. The crispiness of the chips is essential to the texture of the finished sandwich.

2

Fry the Polony

Slice the polony into thick rounds and fry in a hot dry skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes per side until the edges are slightly charred and caramelized. This adds a smoky depth of flavor to the sandwich.

3

Prepare the Bread

Slice the entire loaf lengthwise without cutting all the way through. Pull out a small amount of the soft bread from the inside to create a channel for the fillings. Spread tomato sauce and chili sauce generously on both inner sides.

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4

Fill and Serve

Layer the shredded lettuce along the bottom of the loaf, followed by the fried polony slices, and then pack the hot crispy fries tightly into the loaf. Drizzle with extra chili sauce, press the lid down, and cut crosswise into four equal portions to share.

Substitutions

polony sausagebeef steak strips or grilled chicken for a premium version
peri-peri saucesriracha mixed with a squeeze of lemon juice for a similar spicy tang

Common mistakes

Using cold or soggy fries which ruin the texture and make the bread go limp and unpleasant
Cutting the portions before the fillings are packed tightly enough causing everything to fall apart when served
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