Perhaps we should say Bonjour but this recipe is not originally from France despite his name, so we tell them as always: Hello dear friends of Paulina cuisine! Welcome to our blog is already a recipe with a name that is confused with its name and appearance ... Is it a lasagna , is it a sandwich, is it sweet or salty? Yeah! Today we prepare a delicious Francesinha!
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About the Frenchinha
Unlike most of the recipes that have ancient, diffuse origins and with many versions, in the case of Frenchinha it is totally different . Being a rather modern recipe, the origin of its name, recipe and different versions could be documented very well. Let's say your story is as simple as your preparation.
Before seeing what this Francesha I will tell you something great that is that the Frenchinha was chosen in 2011 as one of the 7 gastronomic wonders of Portugal in a competition at the national level where other popular dishes such as the chicken to the Portuguese .
This was made by a totally iconic element of the culture of Portugal, more precisely from Porto (if, exactly, where the wine is made).
What is the Frenchinha?
Francesinha means "little French" in Portuguese. It is believed that this name was inspired by the croque-monsieur, a sandwich of French origin.
Frenchinha is a specialty of the city of Porto , in northern Portugal, and is a sandwich made with various types of meat, cheese and a tomato and beer sauce, which is gratin in the oven or on a grill before serving.
What is the origin of this delicious Francesha?
Because there are no previous records, its origin is in the 60s when it was created by the Portuguese immigrant Daniel David Silva who had lived in France.
One day he decided to combine the French croque-monsieur with the Portuguese ingredients he had at his disposal and this great sandwich came out. It is a fairly modern dish that immediately for its characteristics expanded by other Portuguese regions.
How do you eat?
As Frenchinha is a very caloric dish , in some Porto restaurants they are offered in two different sizes. There is the French "mean" that yields for a person and the "complete" Frenchinha that is usually to share.
Although it is so delicious that if a single person eats the complete one would be totally justified and understood, especially since it is usual to be accompanied with wine or beer.
The sauce that is used in the Frenchinha is a key ingredient of the dish and its recipe can vary from one place to another. Some places add beer, others came, and there are even those who add brandy or whiskey.
Why was it so popular?
Frenchinha is a very tasty and abundant sandwich that can be eaten in a simple and fast way, something very sought after in recent decades where the food of the day between working hours or in a busy rhythm of life was needed.
In some places it is served with a fried egg on top so that it is tastier and more substantial. There are some vegetarian versions of the Frenchinha that replace meat with vegetable protein, tofu or mushrooms, to adapt to the needs of vegetarian or vegan customers.
This versatility also contributed to its popularity since it made its entry in all possible culinary areas. A true "fast food" gourmet.
The true and only recipe of French Portuguese
The original Francesha recipe includes several types of meat, such as ham, linguiça, roast beef and fresh sausages, as well as molten cheese and a sauce based on tomato, beer and other secret ingredients that vary according to the place where it is prepared. The recipe below is the most faithful to the original.
- Yield : 2 portions
- Preparation time : 1 hour
Ingredients for Portuguese French
- 2 slices of thick mold bread
- 2 ham markets
- 2 loin markets
- 2 fresh sausage sausages
- 2 Mortadela Leads
- 1 large veal fillet
- 6 saples of sausage
- 2 eggs
- 1 large onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 Tritturated tomato can
- 1 beer
- 1/2 cup of milk
- 2 tablespoons of flour
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and black pepper to taste
For sauce
- 1 liter of meat broth
- 1 onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons of flour
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 1 tablespoon of concentrated tomato
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 beer
- 1 red pepper
- Salt and black pepper to taste
How to prepare the authentic Portuguese Frenchinha
- Start doing the sauce. In a pot, melt the butter and sauté the onion and garlic until golden brown. Add the flour and stir well.
- Add the concentrated tomato and bay leaf, mix well. Pour the beer and meat broth, stir until the sauce is soft.
- Add the red pepper, salt and pepper to taste and let the sauce boil over low heat for about 30 minutes.
- In a pan, cook the veal fillet until it is golden on both sides. Reserve. In the same pan, fry the eggs and reserve too.
- In another pan, cook the ham raises, loin, fresh sausage and mortadella until they are brown on both sides.
- In a small pot, melt the butter and add the flour, mix well. Add the milk little by little, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Season with black pepper to taste and let the sauce cook over low heat for a few minutes.
- To assemble the Frenchinha, place a slice of bread on a plate and cover with a hammer of ham, loin, fresh sausage, mortadella and the veal fillet. Add another slice of bread on top and place the slices of sausage and fried eggs.
- Pour hot sauce over the Frenchinha.
