The francesinha, a rich sandwich made from meat, is part of the Portuguese gastronomic culture and is a traditional dish, easy to prepare and with many variations (and calories)
Except for those who follow a diet without meat and animal derivatives, you cannot visit the enchanting city of Port without being tempted by francesinha, a local gastronomic specialty of international renown. It is a rich sandwich, filled with various types of meat, sauce, cheese and other ingredients, which was invented in the 60s and which is part of traditional cuisine, loved by everyone and sometimes revisited with modern and original variations. The ease of preparation and availability of the ingredients, all popular and affordable, combined with the full-bodied and substantial result, make francesinha a unique and palatable dish.
Francesinha, the most delicious sandwich in Europe
If you thought that an American style multilayer hamburger or a very Italian sandwich filled with sliced cold cuts were the ultimate culinary transgression in sandwiches, you should think again. Hardly, in Europe, one can find a richer, more elaborate and delicious recipe than the Portuguese francesinha. This caloric sandwich, with a raw taste and a high number of ingredients, is a dish not to be missed, to try at least once in a lifetime in one of the many restaurants and clubs that serve it in Porto. It was precisely in this city invented in the 60s by the emigrant Daniel da Silva, who, after having lived in France and Belgium, tried his hand at a Portuguese version of the French grilled sandwich known as Croque Monsieur, stuffed with ham and cheese.
Classic recipe and variants
The classic recipe consists of a dish that is anything but light and very tasty, consisting of two slices of grilled bread filled with beef steaks, fresh Portuguese sausages, linguiça (traditional spicy sausage, similar to chorizo), fiambre (cooked pork ham), all covered with melted cheese and one sauce based on beer and tomato, and baked in a terracotta bowl. Most of the ingredients contained in the francesinha are very popular types of meat in Portugal, each characterized by a different flavor and level of flavor and spiciness, as well as by a different consistency. Of course it is also possible to use different sliced meats, sausages or meat, also based on what you have available. Usually the meat is cooked in a pan in butter or margarine.
If these condiments alone were not already sufficiently fatty and caloric, as well as the thick layer of sliced cheese, even more surprising is the preparation of rich sauce tomato sauce with which the sandwich is covered before being baked. For this sauce, which can be purchased ready-made in many Portuguese supermarkets, there is no standard recipe, just a large number variants. In addition to garlic base, onion, butter or margarine, tomato sauce and ale, you can for example add various types of meat (like bacon), a mix of instant soup and chicken broth, corn starch, bay leaves, dry Port wine, brandy, piri piri or hot pepper. The preparation is as simple, fun and customizable as the taste of the final result is incredibly complex.
In addition to the numerous ingredients and layers already mentioned, francesinha is sometimes served also with aaddition of fried egg and a bed of fries, and accompanied by a mug of beer. In short, rather than a dish, this sandwich represents the identity of the country, but also a real gastronomic challenge of resistance.
Photo: francesinha panino Portugese_Flickr_iNelsonRocha.jpg
Photo: Francesinha Portuguese Sandwich variant_adactio_Flickr.jpg
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