Name: Francesinha
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: Serves 2
Cuisine: Portuguese

2 fresh sausages
2 fresh smoked sausages
2 thin steaks
4 slices bread (stale is perfect)
10 slices any preferred melty cheese
4 slices ham or preferred salami
2 eggs
2 chopped onions 2 bay leaves Some pork fat or bacon 500 ml tomato passata 1 fresh chilli or chilli flakes 1x 330 ml bottles beer - your preference 175 ml white wine (optional) splash brandy (option
4 crushed cloves garlic
2 oz butter
2 Tbsps OO
2 bay leaves
Some pork fat or bacon
500 ml tomato passata
1 fresh chilli or chilli flakes
1x 330 ml bottles beer - your preference
175 ml white wine (optional)
Splash brandy and port (optional)
500 ml beef or chicken stock
milk and flour for thickening

Method

step 1
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.
step 2
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.
step 3
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.
step 4
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.

Francesinha