Original 1949 Brown Derby Cookbook - Monte Cristo Sandwich
"One of my family's all-time favorites, we really love this simple old-time version of the Monte Cristo Sandwich! It's great for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. Traditionally dusted with confectioner's sugar, and served with red currant jelly for dipping. You can add a dab of Dijon mustard, if desired. Although this sandwich can be quartered and deep-fried, many of the earliest recipes, like this one adapted from 'The Brown Derby Cookbook' (Doubleday, 1949), call for frying it in a skillet, like french toast."
- Ready In:
- 15mins
- Ingredients:
- 10
- Yields:
-
2 Monte Cristo Sandwiches
- Serves:
- 2
ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1⁄4 cup milk
- salt & freshly ground black pepper
- 5 tablespoons butter, softened
- 6 pieces thinly sliced white bread
- 4 thin slices cooked turkey
- 4 thin slices cooked ham
- 4 thin slices swiss cheese
- confectioners' sugar, for dusting
- red currant jelly, for dipping
directions
- Lightly beat eggs and milk in a shallow bowl. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
- For each sandwich, lightly butter 3 slices of bread on both sides.
- Place 2 slices of turkey and 2 of ham between 2 slices of bread.
- Top with 2 slices of cheese and add last slice of bread.
- Trim crusts, secure with toothpicks, and cut in half on the diagonal.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
- Dip sandwich halves, top and bottom, in batter.
- When butter foams, place sandwiches in skillet and fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes.
- Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to skillet, turn sandwiches, and fry for 2 minutes more.
- Transfer to plates, sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, and serve with jelly.
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
<p>Married to my sweetheart for almost forty years and we have two wonderful children who are grown and have flown the coop. Also, we have been blessed with a wonderful son-in-law and beautiful daughter-in-law, plus FIVE grandchildren: two beautiful granddaughters ages five and eight, and three sweet adorable little grandsons ages 2 months, 2 years and 3 years. My husband and I share a combination of English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Dutch, Swiss, Polish, Austrian, German and French heritage, and our son-in-law and daughter-in-law are both Hispanic. We've traveled extensively to many countries abroad (we lived in Germany), and have traveled and lived in several states here in the U.S.A. Many of the recipes I post here are influenced by our combined heritage or from our travels, or they are old family favorites that I want to share with you. I hope you enjoy! Have been to culinary school with many years of cooking (mostly for my family) under my belt, so know my way around a kitchen. And I'm very lucky to have the best sous chef in the world, dddddh! One of my favorite chefs of all time is Jacques Pepin! I have several of his cookbooks, and enjoy watching his television cooking show Fast Food My Way. Another top favorite is Julia Child (of course!). A few other chefs I read/enjoy watching on t.v. are: Giada At Home, Ina Garten's The Barefoot Contessa, Nigella Lawson's Nigella Bites, and Patti's Mexican Kitchen, and many more. On my bucket list is dining at Thomas Keller's establishment The French Laundry in Napa Valley, California... as well as Alice Waters' Chez Panisse in Berkeley, and the James Beard award winning Tartine Bakery and Cafe in San Francisco. One day!! Hobbies/Interests: Decorating with fresh flowers and herbs from the garden is my passion, and brings me deep joy! It's really hard to beat!! I love connecting with others who enjoy the same. Gardening, decorating, sewing, music, dancing, film, and reading are also up there. Spending quality time with my grandchildren, family, and friends (and cooking holiday meals!). Currently, a newfound passion has been so richly rewarding for me: genealogical research. I heart ancestry dot com. And last but certainly not least, I absolutely LOVE cats--we have two half-Siamese fur babies (cats) that allow us to live here!! A Note of Thanks~ I try to personally thank everyone who kindly makes and reviews my recipes, but sometimes I am busy, late, or may forget. Please know that I am always humbled that you would try one of my recipes, and I enjoy reading the reviews and seeing all the pretty photographs. Thanks so much! </p>
