This is the francesinha sandwich I make at home. I wouldn’t call it my recipe, though. I compiled it from a few different recipes I like. And the francesinha’s heart belongs to the Porto anyway. Warning: This recipe is very hard to do at home. Yours will never be the same as trying the real thing at a proper restaurant. But if you can’t make it to Porto soon, I encourage you to try.
Ingredients:
(serves: 2)
Sandwich
2 fresh sausages
2 fresh smoked sausages
2 rump steaks
4 slices bread
10 slices flamengo cheese
4 slices ham
2 eggs
Salt and pepper
Sauce
2 onions
4 cloves of garlic
½ stick of butter
2 Tbs olive oil
2 bay leaves
Some pork fat or bacon
½ cup tomato sauce
1 fresh chili or chili flakes
2 ¾ cups lager (or two 330 ml bottles)
⅔ cup white wine
¼ cup brandy
¼ cup port
⅔ cup meat or chicken stock
1 cup milk
¼ all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper
Preparation:
Sandwich
- Cut the sausages lengthwise and season with salt and pepper. Season the steaks as well. Grill the sausages first and then the steaks so they stay medium rare.
- Toast the bread slices until they’re golden.
- Start shaping the francesinha: first a slice of bread, then one slice of cheese, one of ham, the steak, the sausages, and cover with the final bread slice. Repeat the process.
- Fry the eggs and top the sandwiches with them. Cover with the remaining cheese.
- Pour the hot sauce right before you serve.
Sauce
- Chop the onions and the garlic and let them sizzle on the pan with some butter, olive oil, the bay leaves, and bacon. Add the tomato sauce and the chillies and bring to a boil.
- Pour in the white wine and season with salt and pepper. Add the lager, brandy, port, stock, and cook for 30 minutes.
- Mix the milk and flour with a fork and add it to the sauce to thicken it. Remove the bay leaves and continue mixing in a blender until the sauce is smooth.
- Pour over the sandwiches while hot.