Published: Saturday, 6th June, 2009 9:54am

Angela tastes victory

by Fiona Howard

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SUCCESS: Angela Pearson is congratulated by Councillor Vivien Dance.

IT was a tasty triumph for Helensburgh woman Angela Pearson on Sunday when she took the honours in the Grand John Logie Baird Sandwich Competition final.

The entrants came from far and near and the five finalists chosen to compete for the honours by Sarah Parker, chef at the Logie Baird pub in Helensburgh, had come up with some fascinating sandwich ideas.

The competition was run jointly by the Helensburgh and Lomond Homecoming committee, the Helensburgh Advertiser and Your Radio and came about as the result of an idea by Friends of the Victoria Halls web designer Jim Chestnut who felt that the world famous BLT needed a run for its money!

The big final was kicked off with real razzmatazz by Your Radio team Billy Hamilton, Ryan and Dave Ross who were broadcasting live from the final.

Four out of the five finalists were able to attend with one unable to get to Helensburgh from his home in Dunoon. The finalists were Bernie Hanley from Port Glasgow, Karen Harling from Paisley, Mairi Gallagher from Rhu, George Drummond from Dunoon and Angela.

The judges were chef Sarah Parker, Citizen of the Year Joan Mulroy and Advertiser editor David Carnduff.

And what a tough task it was. Each judge got to eat a complete sandwich and to share another.

After much deliberation the judges decided that Angela"s sandwich, containing chicken, haggis and melted cheese and described as a 'real Patriotic Piece', was the winner. Angela was duly presented with the trophy an antler handle bread knife on a display board, made by Martin Harper of The Gathering.

Angela, who lives in Cardross Road, said: 'This is amazing. It"s brilliant. I invented the sandwich some time ago when I had a hangover and used what was in the house, stuck it on the George Foreman to toast it, and everybody loved it, even my son Anton who hates haggis!'

The JLB will now feature on the menu at the Logie Baird. Manager Craig Neilson said: 'The JLB sandwich will go on the menu from today and not just for a couple of weeks but all the time and it will feature in our soup and sandwich deal as well.'

One of the entrants Karen Harling who lives and works in Paisley said: 'My husband and I will be spending the rest of the day in Helensburgh and perhaps have fish and chips! It"s such a long time since I have been to Helensburgh, I had forgetten how nice it was.'

The Recipes:

George Drummond: White bread slightly toasted, bacon and melted cheese, with a choice of beans or soy sauce.

Bernie Hanley: Fresh tuna, mix with salad cream (not mayo). Lightly sprinkle grated stilton and diced apple, Cox"s Pippin rather than Golden Delicious. Mix together and serve on crusty white bread with a bed of iceberg lettuce and a touch of salt and pepper.

Angela Pearson: Chicken, haggis and melted cheese on plain bread slightly toasted with a choice of onion in or on the side of the sandwich.

Mairi Gallagher: It"s for a hot sandwich on malted granary bread. Slices of succulent rib-eye steak cooked to customer preference and covered in sauteed red onions and mushrooms topped with melted Scottish mature cheddar cheese and horseradish.

Karen Harling: Jarlsberg cheese – 2 slices. Little gem lettuce, beetroot - not pickled - thinly sliced, 2 slices wholemeal bread, with (optional) tomato verdi.

Lightly butter the wholemeal bread. Build up the sandwich firstly with the lettuce then cheese then the beetroot. Top with tomato verdi or have it on the side.

FOR THE TOMATO VERDI

3 green tomatoes, 2 ounces diced green chillies, 1 medium sweet onion, chopped, 60ml lime juice, salt and pepper, to taste, bunch of chopped coriander leaves. Peel and seed green tomatoes. Place green tomatoes in a pot, and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and cook about 15 minutes until the tomatoes turn light green. Drain well. Place in blender with the onion, chillies, lime juice, salt, pepper and coriander. Puree to desired consistency and chill.