Francesinha

[jenny_haddow]

We have quite a large Portuguese community in East AnglIa, and as I once lived in Brasil I have a reasonable command of the language. I'm often amused to here the comments in Portuguese of a tired husband being dragged around Tesco by his wife doing the weekly shop. Today, I heard one such say "It's an age since you made a Francesinha". This stirred memories of a gigantic 'snack' I used to eat in Rio which had to be followed by a good rest to give digestion a chance! I think it's on a scale with the triple burgers, etc., that have been posted. Here's a recipe, there's no definitive one, ea h family has it's own.

2 slices of white bread
2 slices of smoked ham
4 slices of cheese
1 grilled sausage (linguica perhaps)
1 fried steak (thin) or slices of cooked roast beef
The last two should be hot before assembling the sandwich

Sauce,
1 beer
1 cube of chicken stock
1 tsp butter
2 tblsp tomato paste
Quarter cup of port or brandy or whiskey
Quarter cup milk
1 tsp cornflour
Chilli flakes and salt to taste.

Dissolve cornflour in the milk and add all the sauce ingredients. Mix well, put over a low heat and stir until it is thickened and cooked.

Assemble the sandwich in layers of ham, cheese, sausage and beef, saving two slices of cheese to go on top of the sandwich. Pour the sauce over the sandwich (it must be hot so the cheese melts).

It's a knife and fork job, and really tasty. You big eaters out there would probably eat two!

Jen

[grisell]

Sounds interesting. I have read a similar recipe sometime, but I don't remember if it was Portuguese.

[DanMcG]

Wow Jenny that s sounds crazy good, do you have any pic's of the final product for reference? I got to try it.

[wheels]

I can't be doing with all this diet food!

[jenny_haddow]

There's a lot of pictures on Wikipedia if you want to see a variety of takes on the theme. I've heard there is Portuguese cafe near here that makes them, I might go and give them a try. I need to put on a bit of weight so maybe a few Francesinhas is the answer.

Jen

[wheels]

I'll just check my Weight-watchers calorie counter!

[BriCan]

I'll just check my Weight-watchers calorie counter!

I think you need to do a couple of circuits around the village and half a pint of bitter every fourth night only.

[wheels]

BriCan

It's threads like this, and posts like yours and Jenny's that make me realise that being a moderator here is worth all the hassle.
To get a new recipe, have a laugh, and be pilloried in the space of under 10 posts can't be all bad!

Phil