It’s a glorious mess of a sandwich. It’s Porto’s favourite hangover helper. It is, according Anthony Bourdain, “Meat, cheese, fat and bread: the immortal combination.” It’s the Francesinha, a sandwich we’ve been wanting to photograph [and indulge in] for a very long time. Fifteen issues in, we arrived in Avó Emilia Silva’s kitchen and we anxiously awaited its arrival like children on Christmas morning. This was not a sandwich… this was a challenge.
Before we get to deep into this, I want to remind everyone that we pride ourselves on being authentic… but sometimes a small stretch is needed to get there. Avó Emilia was born in Bagunte, Vila do Conde, a mere 35 km north of Porto, the city where the Francesinha was invented by Daniel David de Silva. Now, is geographic proximity and the fact both share the same surname a coincidence? Maybe, but unless someone is willing to submit DNA from both parties to ancestory.com we’re going to stick to the assumption that there is a possibility that our Francesinha recipe is a direct relative of the original.
Back to our regularly scheduled story.
So, what exactly is this sandwich I speak of and why do I hold it in such high esteem? Imagine a sandwich so decadent, so indulgent, that it’s been dubbed the “heart attack on a plate.” It’s a true feast for the senses, constructed from layers of cured meats, steak, and smothered in a rich and [slightly] spicy, tomato and beer-based sauce… and we’re not finished… it’s topped with a gooey blanket of melted cheese and a [not] optional fried egg—not optional because who would say no to a fried egg?. And if that combination of flavours and textures isn’t enough, it’s traditionally served with a side of crispy fries and a cold beer.
If you don’t think being delicious and messy is enough, the Francesinha has an origin story dating back to 1952. That’s when some residents of Porto were given the opportunity to taste Daniel David de Silva’s creation.
De Silva was one of thousands of Portuguese to flee the country during the dictatorship of António Salazar, ending up in Belgium and working in the catering trade. By 1950 he was bartending at a hotel in France but he was homesick—enter António Passos, the owner of A Regaleira, a restaurant in Porto. Passos was served by de Silva, and impressed enough invite him back to Portugal to work behind the counter at the restaurant. De Silva accepted.
Having presumably consumed his fair share of Croque Monsieurs and Croque Madame’s, de Silva returned with a love for melted cheese over a meat sandwich and set to work creating his version using the gastronomic offerings of Northern Portugal—smoked meats and hot spices for the sauce. After years of crafting the dish, and sharing different versions with his friends, de Silva was ready for the big unveil. When he finally arrived at the table with the nameless sandwich, covered in melted cheese and orange sauce Júlio Couto was one of the lucky friends selected to have the first taste. Couto thought, this was something spicy and very nice… and he baptized it the Francesinha [little French woman], in honour of the liberal and confident French women—a contrast to the Portuguese women who were very conservative and rather conventional in their way of dress at that time. Ironically, for decades the Francesinha was considered inappropriate for women… which is probably why Portugal seems to have a disproportionate amount of very old women who’ve outlived their husbands by decades, many of which were likely victims of Francesinha induced cardiac events. Thankfully, everyone is now welcome to partake in the meaty, cheesy goodness without judgment.
It’s definitely the type of sandwich a university student might invent after a night of heavy drinking… and yes, you’ll want to take a very long walk after ingesting all 2500[ish] calories, but I’ve been told when it comes to overindulging, moderation is key. In fact some residents of Porto suggest that for general health and safety, you should limit yourself to two Francesinhas a month. Twenty-four Francesinhas in a year sounds like a new year’s resolution I can actually keep.
Francesinha
[MAKES 1]
INGREDIENTS
- 2 SLICES LOAF BREAD [THICK CUT]
- 1 EGGS
- 1 FLANK STEAKS [CUT THIN]
- 1 LINGUIÇA*
- 1 FRESH SALSICHA*
- 1 SLICE OF CHOURIÇO*
- 1 SLICE OF HAM
- 1 SLICE OF MORTADELLA
- 5 SLICES OF CHEESE**
- MUSTARD
DIRECTIONS
- Season steaks with salt and pepper, then grill or fry.
- Cut the sausages lengthwise and fry or grill, working in batches if necessary. Cut cooked meat to match the size of the bread.
- Assemble the sandwich by placing one slice of bread on a plate, ham, the steak, a slice of cheese, linguiça, salsicha, another slice of cheese, choriço, mortadella and the final bread slice.
- Place sandwich in a panini press for three minutes [alternately, grill both sides on a hot skillet, pressing down on it to compact everything]
- Fry the egg over-easy.
- Remove sandwich from grill, top with fried egg and cover with cheese.
- Turn on the broil and place it in the oven until the cheese has melted.
- Pour the hot sauce over all, making sure there is plenty at the bottom of the plate.
- Serve immediately, accompanied with crispy french fries [and a cold beer!]
Francesinha sauce
[SERVES 4] INGREDIENTS
- 2 SMALL ONIONS, DICED
- 2 GARLIC CLOVES, MINCED
- OLIVE OIL
- 1 BAY LEAF
- SALT AND PEPPER
- PIRI-PIRI SAUCE
- 2 BEERS
- 200 ML PUREED TOMATOES
- 50 ML PORT WINE
- 40 ML WHISKY
- 30 ML WHITE WINE
- 2 TBSP PAPRIKA
- 4 TBSP CORNSTARCH
DIRECTIONS
- Heat saucepan over low to medium heat. Add olive oil, onion and garlic. Sauté until onion turns translucent.
- Add the beer followed by the rest of the ingredients [except cornstarch].
- Leave to simmer for about 30 minutes [at this point, you can start preparing the Francesinha ingredients].
- Dissolve the cornstarch in a little water and gradually add it to the sauce until it reaches a consistency you like.
- Remove the pan from heat, remove bay leaf and blend everything with a hand blender until smooth.
- Return saucepan to the stove, bring to a boil and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Let simmer until you’re ready to use.
CHEF’S NOTES: * THERE ARE THREE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PORTUGUESE SAUSAGE USED IN THIS RECIPE, BUT FEEL FREE TO SUBSTITUTE AND MAKE IT YOUR OWN! ** YOU WANT TO USE A MELTY CHEESE [EDAM, PROVOLONE, FONTINA, SMOKED GOUDA, ETC.]
WORDS: DAVID GANHÃO
RECIPE: EMILIA SILVA
PHOTOS: MICHAEL NEAL
