Francesinha Sandwich Recipe

The francesinha is a huge decadent beast of a sandwich from Portugal. It’s layered with several kinds of meat, plus cheese before the whole thing is covered in a rich sauce made with BEER. Get in. Thought to be a Portuguese version of the croque monsieur, it is said that a man named Daniel Da Silva, on returning from France to Portugal in the 1960s, tried to adapt the French classic to Portuguese tastes. The sauce is key here, with each family and restaurant having their own secret recipe. In fact, when researching this book, I sparked a very heated discussion between members of a Portuguese family; every one of them had strong feelings as to how it should be cooked… This sandwich is not for the faint of heart, which makes it even more impressive that the Portuguese traditionally serve it surrounded by French fries.

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp vegetable oil

½ onion, finely chopped

2 minute steaks (about 5½oz/150g each), sliced

1 linguiça sausage (Portuguese smoked sausage), sliced

1 cooking chorizo sausage, sliced

1 tsp superfine (caster) sugar

1 × 12fl oz (330ml) bottle beer (Super Bock if you want to be all authentic)

8oz (225g) can chopped tomatoes

A dash of hot chili sauce

Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

1 tsp cornstarch (cornflour)

4 slices sturdy white bread (something like sourdough will work well)

2 slices cooked ham

4 thin slices Swiss (Emmenthal) cheese

Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan and gently soften the onion. Add the sliced steaks, linguiça sausage, and chorizo and cook until the pieces of sausage are starting to crisp and caramelize and the steak is cooked through. Carefully remove the meat and set aside. Into the pan with the onions, add the sugar, beer, tomatoes, and a dash of hot chili sauce. Simmer, uncovered, for 20–30 minutes or until beginning to thicken. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) Gas 6. Taste the sauce, then season with salt and pepper. Mix the cornstarch (cornflour) with a splash of cold water, then stir into the sauce. Cook for a few minutes, stirring, until nice and thick. Remove from the heat. Place 2 slices of the bread, side by side, in a baking pan (tin), then add a layer of the cooked steak, sausage, and chorizo mixture to each, followed by a slice of ham. Add the remaining slices of bread and then put the cheese slices on top. Pour the sauce over the entire sandwiches. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling. Serve immediately.