Monte Cristo

(Sunshine Tavern)

I love the Monte Cristo. It’s traditionally a French sandwich that began as a variation on the croque monsieur. It’s basically a ham and cheese sandwich dipped in a batter, fried and topped with a fried egg. There are tons of variations of this decadent sandwich, but at Sunshine Tavern, we sandwich turkey, ham, and Swiss cheese between two slices of brioche before frying in rice oil.  I also like to top ours with a little powdered sugar, marrionberry jam and maldon salt. This is a perfect sandwich for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Cook Time:10 min

Prep Time:10 min

Total Time:20 min

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

1 quart oil for frying

2/3 cup water

1 Egg

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ground

4 Slices brioche

4 Thin slices Swiss cheese

6 Thin slices turkey

6 Thin slices ham

2 Chicken eggs

2 tablespoon olive oil

Maldon salt

4 teaspoon marrionberry jam

Preparation:

Heat 5 inches of oil in a deep-fryer to 365 degrees F. While oil is heating, make the batter. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg and water. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper; whisk into the egg mixture until smooth. Set aside in the refrigerator.

Assemble sandwiches by placing one slice of turkey on one slice of bread, a slice of ham on another, then sandwich them with the Swiss cheese in the middle. Secure sandwich withtoothpicks.

Set non-stick pan over medium heat, add 1T olive oil, then crack egg into pan. Place in 400 degree oven and cook white is set and yolk is runny.

Dip each sandwich in the batter so that all sides are coated. Deep fry in the hot oil until golden brown on all sides. Remove toothpicks and arrange on a plate. Dust with powdered sugar, then fried egg just before serving. Sprinkle a tiny bit of maldon slat over egg yolk and serve with a ramekin of marrionberry preserves.