Monte Cristo Sandwich

Описание

Исходное описание на английском языке. Русский перевод ещё не добавлен.

Monte Cristo is a sweet-and-savory battered sandwich filled with sliced ham, turkey, and Swiss cheese, then fried until crisp, dusted with powdered sugar, and served with fruit preserves. Thick slices of sturdy white bread are needed to make the sandwich. Thinly sliced roast turkey, cured ham, and firm Swiss cheese are stacked evenly between the bread slices. The whole sandwich is pressed down with a heavy weight to flatten it and keep the layers from separating during cooking. It is then completely coated in a batter made with whisked whole eggs, milk, and a pinch of salt. The battered sandwich is cooked either in a hot skillet with melted butter or in a deep vat of hot neutral oil. As it cooks, the egg coating forms a golden, crisp shell on the outside, while the heat inside melts the cheese and warms the sliced meats. Some omit the turkey entirely and use only thick slices of cured pork. A fully savory version skips the powdered sugar and fruit jam, replacing them with sharp Dijon mustard for dipping and a side of sour dill pickles. The cooking method also creates two distinct versions. Pan-frying produces a flatter, egg-soaked exterior, while deep-frying the entire battered sandwich creates a thicker, more even crust that seals the meat inside. The exact origins of the name point to Southern California in the mid-20th century. Printed menus in Los Angeles, including Gordon’s restaurant, listed the sandwich in the 1930s. It developed as a local adaptation of older toasted meat-and-cheese sandwiches, designed to use leftover roast meats in a very filling, high-calorie form. The sandwich became widely known in 1966, when the Blue Bayou restaurant inside Disneyland added it permanently to its menu and began serving it in large quantities to thousands of park visitors each day. Monte Cristo is served piping hot, usually cut cleanly into halves or quarters. A thick, snowy layer of powdered sugar covers the fried crust. A small bowl of strawberry, raspberry, or red currant jam is placed beside the plate, serving as a sweet-and-tart dipping sauce that cuts through the richness of the fried sandwich. Because the battered bread is soft, greasy, and heavy, it is usually eaten with a knife and fork rather than picked up by hand.