Making Francesinha

I think Larry’s favorite dish he tried in Portugal was the francesinha. He was really looking forward to it the whole trip, but waited until we got to Porto to try it.

Francesinha is a a hearty Portuguese sandwich from Porto, featuring layers of meat (like steak, ham, and sausage) on thick bread, covered in melted cheese and a rich, spicy tomato and beer sauce, often topped with a fried egg and served with french fries. The name means “little French woman,” or “little Frenchie”. It was inspired by the French croque monsieur, but adapted with more ingredients and a unique sauce. The francesinha originated in Porto, Portugal, during the 1950s or 1960s, created by Daniel David de Silva, a returned emigrant who sought to adapt the French croque-monsieur to the Portuguese palate. It is said to be a tribute to French women, who Silva reportedly found to be “spicy” (referencing the sauce).

When we had our Portuguese birthday dinner for Bob and Janet, francesinha was the main dish on my menu. It looks complicated to make, but it really wasn’t too hard.

Francesinha

The sauce is the key to this traditional dish from Porto.

The Sauce

4-5 large tomatoes, diced – I used large heirloom tomatoes

1 onion, sliced very thin

1 TBSP garlic

1-2 TBSP butter

2-3 TBSP olive oil

1-2 bay leaves

4 sprigs fresh thyme

1 can light beer

2 cups beef or ham stock – I used ham stock

1/2 cup port

1/4 cup brandy

salt & pepper to taste

1 red chili, diced fine

1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce

In a large pot, cook the onions, garlic and chili pepper in the butter and olive oil for about 8 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, and continue to cook for about 40-45 minutes.

With a large liquid mixer, pulse everything until you have a smooth sauce, then pour through a strainer and reboil.

Making The Sandwich

2 slices thick bread

4-5 slices of cheese – your choice of cheese

2 slices thinly sliced ham, or more if you are not using cheese

1 sausage, cooked and cut in half lengthwise

4-6 oz thin steak, cooked to your liking

1 egg

While the sauce is cooking, cook the sausage and steak to your liking. For me, a nice medium rare (the more rare the better for me) is perfect. Once the meat is cooked spray a deep dish with cooking spray and start layering the sandwich. Start with one slice of bread, then the ham, steak, sausage, more ham, and the other slice of bread on top.

If you are not a cheese eater, instead of adding a layer of cheese all around the sandwich, make it even more carnivorous, and add another layer of ham all around it. Since I am not a cheese eater, I made both kinds of francesinha.

Once the sandwich is layered completely, poor the boiling hot sauce over the sandwich. The hotter the sauce, the more quickly and completely it will melt the cheese.

Top with a fried egg and serve immediately.

Don’t even think about how many calories are in this dish. Just enjoy it and savor every bite. I suppose you could make this a vegetarian dish if you wanted to, just use thinly sliced hearty vegetables, such as zucchini, yellow crookneck squash, butternut squash, eggplant, mushrooms and peppers.

This is one of Larry’s favorites, and if you are a meat eater, it will be one of your favorites too.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Live life to the fullest. It’s not the destination that matters, but the journey. Enjoy the ride. ‘Til next time.