Name: Francesinha
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Portugal
Ingredients: 8 slices white sandwich bread; 4 slices cooked ham; 2 thin steaks or pork cutlets, cooked; 2 linguica or spicy sausages, sliced lengthwise and cooked; 8 slices mild cheese; 4 eggs, fried; French fries to serve; Sauce: 2 tbsp butter, 1 onion, 2 garlic cloves, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 1 cup beef stock, 1 tsp piri-piri or hot sauce, 1 bay leaf, 1/2 cup cream

Where it comes from

Francesinha is a specialty of Porto in northern Portugal and was created in the 1950s. It is a famously filling dish enjoyed in cafes and restaurants, usually eaten with a knife and fork.

Explore the cuisine of Portugal.

Recipe

Make Francesinha at home

Serves 4Time 1 hour

Ingredients

8 slices white sandwich bread
4 slices cooked ham
2 thin steaks or pork cutlets, cooked
2 linguica or spicy sausages, sliced lengthwise and cooked
8 slices mild cheese
4 eggs, fried
French fries to serve
Sauce: 2 tbsp butter, 1 onion, 2 garlic cloves, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 1 cup beef stock, 1 tsp piri-piri or hot sauce, 1 bay leaf, 1/2 cup cream

How it's made

For the sauce, cook onion and garlic in butter until soft, add tomato paste, stock, hot sauce and bay leaf and simmer 20 minutes; stir in cream, discard bay leaf and blend until smooth.
Build each sandwich with bread, ham, steak, sausage and another slice of bread.
Top with cheese slices, covering the whole sandwich.
Broil until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
Place on a plate and pour the hot sauce over.
Top with a fried egg and serve with fries.