This is one of the most popular snacks in Portugal and increasingly in the rest of the World. It is a strong ultra-calorie sandwich that is made with various meats and sausages and is bathed with a slightly spicy tomato sauce. As if that were not enough, it is usually topped with a fried egg and is accompanied by French fries.
It was created by Daniel da Silva in the sixties of the last century. A returned emigrant from France, he began to spread it from the city of Porto, although today it can be tasted in almost all of Portugal. Although these things about food creation are always somewhat confusing, it seems that he tried to create a product similar to the Croque-monsieur, adapted to the Portuguese taste and certainly much more powerful. If you have a Francesinha for dinner, it is better to do it early because if you do not do it that night or you sleep or you do the digestion, both things at the same time cannot be.
In Porto there are several restaurants specialized in Francesinhas. The two most popular and famous are located on Rua Passos Manuel and are Lado B and Café Santiago. If you go to any of these restaurants, the "special" Francesinha is the one topped with a fried egg. Without it it is the "normal".
The Francesinha is always eaten on the plate since due to its size and composition it is impossible to take it with your hands.
By the way, the name alludes to the impetus of French women who seem to have impressed the creator during his stay in the country.
INGREDIENTS (4 people):
For the base sandwich:
- 8 slices of bread
- 4 slices of cooked ham
- 4 small beef steaks
- 100 grams (3.5 oz) of sausage **
- 4 linguça **
- Salt
- Extra virgin olive oil
For the cheese sauce:
- 250 grams (9 oz) of that gruyere cheese or similar (also serves gouda, edam etc)
- 150 ml (3/4 cup) of milk
- Salt
- Butter
For the tomato sauce:
- 250 ml (1 cup and a quarter) of meat broth
- 150 grams (5.3 oz) of crushed tomato
- 150 ml (3/4 cup) of port wine
- 100 ml (half a cup) of beer (normal type)
- Spicy chilli (to taste)
- Flour
- Salt
- Extra virgin olive oil (or canola, sunflower, corn etc)
To "garnish" it:
- 200 grams (7 oz) of French fries
- 4 eggs
** La Francesinha uses two types of sausage. The first (100 grams/3.5 oz) would be the raw sausage that we find anywhere, made with pork, chicken or turkey. The second, called linguiça, is very typical of Portugal. Similar to chorizo, but with less paprika and fat. Both can be substituted for raw sausage, I mean, the one has to be cooked in pan or barbecue.
First of all, it is advisable to tenderize the meat so that the sandwich is easy to cut. To do this we must hit it with a mallet.
In a frying pan over medium heat we pour a couple of spoonfuls of oil. We fry the meat, seasoning it slightly, and once it is done we do the same with the sausages open in half. Sausages do not need to be seasoned.
Once we have the meats done, we reserve avoiding that they get cold.
To make the cheese sauce, pour the milk into a saucepan over medium heat. When it is warm we add in cheese and we melt it. A couple of tablespoons of unsalted butter is then added. We reserve it keeping warm.
Now we are going to make the spicy tomato sauce.
In a saucepan over medium-low heat we pour a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, add the beer and then the crushed tomato, the broth, the chilli and the Port wine. If we do not want to use spicy red chilli, we can use another type such as ground black pepper, sweet chili or similar.
The tomato sauce should be creamy and homogeneous. Let it cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes and if it is thick enough, add a level tablespoon of flour (better pass it through the strainer beforehand so that it is without lumps). We reserve and keep warm.
Now we are going to toast the sliced bread in a frying pan, the oven or the toaster.
It is time to assemble the sandwich.
We put a slice of toast on the dish.
On top of it, the beef filet, the sausage and the cooked ham. It is covered with the other slice of bread and bathed in the cheese sauce. Once covered with the cheese, do the same with the spicy tomato.
If you like, top it off with a fried egg. Of course, almost always if not always, it is served on a bed of chips because they are used to dip the sauce, which is addictive.
One of those sandwiches that you never forget.