Exploring the many different breakfast dishes of the world is the best way to take your taste buds to far-flung destinations. It’s also worth seeing how different cities have adapted traditional recipes from other cultures, reminding you of just how far culinary influences travel. Case in point, this classic Portuguese breakfast being served up in Utah capital Salt Lake City.
From a small, family-owned American dinner named Hub and Spoke has supplied us with this recipe for Francesinha, a breakfast sandwich originating in Porto.
This version makes use of ham, sausage and short rib on toasted sourdough with Swiss cheese, fried egg, and tomato beer sauce. Take your time mastering this one, we have a feeling it’ll be a hit.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup carrot, peeled and diced
- 1 cup yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 24 oz (710ml) lager (preferably Pabst or Rainer)
- 48 oz (1.4L) tomato juice
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Method
Tomato & Beer Sauce:
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium saucepan until fragrant.
- Saute carrot, onion and garlic on medium heat for 8-10 minutes until soft and translucent.
- Pour in half of the lager, removing the brown bits that have developed on the bottom of the saucepan, reduce heat to low and simmer lager until almost gone.
- Add tomato juice, bring back to simmer and reduce liquid half way.
- Add the other lager and cook about 10 minutes, cooking the alcohol out of the larger.
- Make a slurry by combining the cornstarch and half a cup of water, using fingers to mix – this prevents unwanted clumps from forming in the sauce.
- Pour in slurry while whisking, thickening the sauce slightly.
- Once thickened, remove from heat and cool slightly.
- Using a mixer or immersion blender, blend until smooth. Set aside for future use.
Remaining ingredients and assembly:
- Take some breakfast sausage, Lunguica sausage and ham (all cooked). For the braised beef, use leftover pot roast or sliced beef from the deli.
- Get a good loaf of sourdough and some cage free egss and some nice Swiss cheese.
- Heat oven to 176*C and skillet on medium heat, butter on both sides of the sourdough and then toast the sourdough in the skillet, browning both sides evenly.
- Place all servings of sourdough on a sheet tray and divide the meats amongst the desired servings then place a slice of Swiss on each.
- Place in oven and heat, melting the cheese until bubbly.
- Meanwhile cook an egg any style for each serving.
- Pull the combined “sandwiches” out of the oven, place on desired serving plate, place an egg on each serving, and pour sauce around the “sandwich”.
To learn more about the food of Utah click here.
