Monte Cristo sandwiches
Recipe submitted by View from the Bay viewer Elizabeth Rodrigues from San Jose
Serves 7
Ingredients:
- 14 slices of buttermilk or challah bread (for 7 sandwiches)
- 7 teaspoons of Honey Dijon
- Mustard
- 14 slices of Swiss cheese
- 14 slices of ham (preferably a honey baked flavor)
- 14 slices of turkey (smoked or a honey baked flavor)
- 5 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons of flour
- 1½ tablespoons of butter, softened
- ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoons of milk
- Powdered sugar to taste (to spread on top and raspberry preserves on the side)
- Heat oven to 425 degrees.
- Lightly grease the baking sheet by using a baking spray.
- Spread ½ teaspoon of the mustard on each bread slice.
- Layer the following number of slices between each slice of bread: 1 cheese, 2 ham, 2 turkey, then 1 cheese.
- Whisk flour and then add eggs, butter, salt and pepper, then whisk again.
- Blend in milk to mixture.
- Dip both sides of the sandwich into the egg mixture until lightly soaked.
- Place each sandwich onto baking sheet and bake about 8- 10 minutes on each side, until browned.
- Remove from oven and lightly dust with powdered sugar.
- Slice each sandwich in half or three's.
- Serve the Monte Cristo Sandwich with raspberry preserves for dipping and maybe a fruit salad.
RECIPE MAKEOVER:
Monte Cristo sandwiches
By Chef Chef Dominique Crenn from Luce at the InterContinental Hotel San Francisco
Serves 7
Ingredients:
- 14 slices of brioche bread
- Pickled mustard seed (see recipe below)
- 14 slices of local semi-soft goat cheese
- 14 slices of laquercia Artisan prosciutto or organic prosciutto
- 2½ cups of half and half
- 6 large eggs
- 4 tablespoon of organic honey (warm)
- Strawberry jam (see recipe below)
- Salt
- Butter
- In a large bowl, make a custard mixture the night before mixing half and half, 6 eggs, warm honey and salt. Whisk until blended and refrigerate.
- The next day, remove custard from the refrigerator, add the sliced brioche and soak them for about 5 to 10 minutes.
- In a sauté pan over medium heat, melt butter and add the slices of brioche and cook until golden brown on both sides.
- Remove from pan and preheat over to 350?.
- Place the brioche slices on a sheet pan. Place prosciutto and slices of goat cheese on half of the slices. Top with remaining slices.
- Bake for about 8 minutes.
- Remove from over and top each sandwich with pickled mustard seed and strawberry jam.
Pickled Mustard Seeds
Ingredients:
- 1½ cups yellow mustard seed
- 1½ cups of rice vinegar
- 1 cup of distilled water
- ½ cup of granulated sugar
- 1 T kosher salt
- Bring water to a boil and blanch mustard seeds for 2 minutes.
- Drain and rinse in cold water twice.
- In medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine vinegar, sugar, kosher salt and water to a simmer to dissolve the sugar and salt.
- Add the blanched mustard seeds and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Drain and transfer the pickled mustard seeds to a container.
Strawberry Jam
Ingredients:
- 9 pints of organic strawberries
- 3½ T of sugar
- 0.5 ounces of pectin
- 2 lemons, juiced
- Juice the strawberries to get one quart of strawberry pulp (Use the remaining juice in a drink).
- Bring the juice of two lemons and sugar to a boil to dissolve the sugar.
- Add the pectin to dissolve.
- In pot on low heat, warm up ¼ of the strawberry pulp.
- Add pectin to the pulp. Whisk and add the rest of the strawberry pulp, whisking until blended.
- Let the jam cool.
To learn more about Dominique Crenn, visit www.dominiquecrenn.com
Luce Restaurant
888 Howard Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone: (415) 616-6566
Website: www.lucewinerestaurant.com
