Francesinha Recipe 45

FRANCESINHA (SUPER INDULGENT PORTUGUESE SANDWICH)

Steps:

• Make the sauce first by dissolving the cornstarch into the milk.
• Add all the other sauce ingredients and blend in food processor.
• Put it into a pan over low heat and add the bay leaf .
• Stir it until it starts to boil, remove bay leaf and then set aside.
• Assemble the sandwich saving 2 slices of cheese.
• Put the sandwich on a plate or shallow bowl and place the 2 slices of cheese on top.
• Pour the sauce over the sandwich (should be hot, so the cheese melts).
• Eat -- you may want a bib.

CHICKEN FRANCESA

Steps:

• Remove the tenderloin from each chicken breast half. Fillet each chicken breast half into 2 slices. Pound each piece of chicken, including the tenderloins, to 1/4-inch thickness. Place chicken in a bowl and pour in enough milk to completely cover chicken; soak for 30 minutes.
• Mix bread crumbs, Pecorino Romano cheese, and parsley together in a bowl. Remove chicken from milk and dredge through bread crumb mixture until each piece is evenly coated.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook chicken in the hot oil until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly butter a baking dish.
• Transfer chicken to the prepared baking dish, reserving 1 tablespoon olive oil in the skillet. Sprinkle salt and pepper over chicken. Place 1 slice lemon onto each chicken piece.
• Pour wine into the skillet with reserved olive oil; bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off of the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add chicken broth and lemon juice and boil until reduced by half, 5 to 10 minutes. Pour wine mixture over chicken and drizzle brandied orange liqueur over each.
• Bake in the preheated oven until chicken is no longer pink in the center and sauce is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes.

FRANCESINHA

Steps:

• Sandwich filling: Cut the sausages lengthwise and season with salt and pepper. Season the steaks as well. Grill the sausages first and then the steaks so they stay medium rare.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce: Chop the onions and the garlic and let them sizzle on the pan with some butter, olive oil, the bay leaves, and bacon. Add the tomato passata and the chillies and bring to a fast simmer. Add the booze if you're using any and the stock, and simmer for 10-20 minutes. Mix the milk and flour with a fork and add it to the sauce to thicken it. Remove the bay leaves and blend with a stick blender until the sauce is smooth.
• Start shaping the francesinha: first a slice of bread, then one slice of cheese, one of ham/salami, the steak, the sausages; layering between the two sandwiches until the meat is used up between them and you have a sandwich. Cover all of the sandwiches with the remaining sliced cheese and bung in the oven or grill until it melts.
• Once the cheese is melted, fry the eggs and top the sandwiches with them and pour the hot sauce over and around. Serve with fries.