One Pan, Two Plates (10 page)

in the glass:
The lentils dictate a simple, light red like a Beaujolais from Georges DuBoeuf. His Fleurie Domaine des Quatre Vents 2009 was a hit for us, but any Beaujolais from Duboeuf would be très magnifique.

Croque Madame

Croque Madame
is a heavenly little grilled ham, cheese, and egg sandwich served in bistros all over France. What makes this sandwich different from the grilled cheese your mom used to make is that it is slathered in béchamel sauce and topped with a fried egg. These upscale additions remove
la croque
from the lunch category and take it firmly to the dinner-worthy column. I think Mom would approve.

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START TO FINISH
25 minutes

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HANDS-ON TIME
25 minutes

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serves 2

½ cup/155 g unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 slices fresh, crusty artisan bread (see “It’s that easy), each about ½ in/12 mm thick

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

4 slices Gruyère or Swiss cheese

4 oz/115 g Black Forest ham, thinly sliced

1 ripe plum tomato, thinly sliced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 large eggs

1 tbsp all-purpose flour

¾ cup/180 ml milk, warmed in the microwave

1.
Spread about 1 tbsp of the butter on one side of each bread slice. Turn them butter-side down and spread the other sides with the mustard. Top two of the slices with one slice of cheese on the mustard side. Arrange half of the ham on each cheese slice, followed by a layer of tomato and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Finish with the remaining two cheese slices, one on each, and close the sandwiches with the two remaining bread slices, butter-side up.

2.
Heat a 12-in/30.5-cm skillet over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the sandwiches to the pan and brown them on the first side, about 4 minutes. If they are browning too fast, reduce the heat—you want the heat to reach the inside of the sandwich so that the ham is hot and the cheese is melted, without burning the bread. Using a wide spatula, carefully flip the sandwiches over and brown the second sides, about 3 minutes longer. They should be crispy and crunchily browned. Transfer to warmed plates.

3.
Add 2 tbsp of the butter to the hot pan and raise the heat to medium-high. When the butter is melted and begins to sizzle, break the eggs gently into the pan and sprinkle them with salt and pepper.
Fry the eggs just until they are set, about 1 minute, then give them a gentle flip with a spatula and cook the other side for another minute. Try not to break the yolks so they’re still a little runny on the inside. Transfer the eggs to a separate warmed plate and cover to keep warm.

4.
Scrape out any crunchy egg remaining in the pan and discard it. Add the remaining butter to the hot pan and when the butter is melted, add the flour, ¼ tsp salt, and a few grinds of pepper and stir until the flour foams, about 30 seconds. Whisk in the warm milk and continue to cook the sauce until it boils and thickens, about 1 minute. Remove the sauce from the heat and pour it over the sandwiches. Top them with the fried eggs and serve hot.

variation:
Swiss, Cheddar, fontina, Monterey Jack . . . literally any melting cheese will work in this sandwich. Also feel free to use any sliced meats like roast beef, corned beef, prosciutto, turkey, et cetera. Other spreads like horseradish, mayonnaise, and flavored mustards are fun ways to experiment as well.

it’s that easy:
When it comes to sandwiches, bread is usually the main ingredient, so buy the best bread you can find. The price difference between a so-so loaf and a really good artisan loaf is minimal, so it is worth the splurge. Artisan breads don’t usually contain preservatives, so to keep fresh, store the sliced bread in the freezer and remove it by the slice when you need it.

extra hungry?
A petite salade of pickled vegetables would be a welcome addition to this sandwich meal. You can find them at the grocery in multiple combinations (think cauliflower, carrots, onions, peppers), spicy or not, in glass jars near where the olives are displayed.

in the glass:
Look for a white wine with low acid and a hint of sweetness, like a Müller-Thurgau from the Alto Adige in Italy or Alsace, France.

Cuban Sandwiches

This hot sandwich is a complete meal wrapped between two slices of bread. I love the combination of tart pickles, salty ham, and gooey hot cheese but the pork in this sandwich really makes it sing. Slow-cooked shredded pork can be purchased in the deli section of most markets or it can be found packaged in the refrigerated meat sections. Just look for it. It makes an epic sandwich like this possible. Oink, oink.

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START TO FINISH
20 minutes

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HANDS-ON TIME
20 minutes

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serves 2

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2 hoagie rolls or French rolls, split

1 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 tbsp mustard of your choice

6 slices ham (see Tip)

4 slices Swiss cheese

6 pickle rounds or 2 large pickles, cut lengthwise into ¼-in/6-mm slices

⅔ cup/115 g shredded roast pork shoulder or 6 slices deli roast pork

1.
Lay the rolls cut-side down on a work surface. Butter the outsides generously with the butter. Turn them butter-side down and spread the mustard on cut sides. Layer the ham, cheese, pickles, and pork on the sandwich bottoms, dividing them evenly. Replace the tops, butter-side out.

2.
Heat a 12-in/30.5-cm skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, carefully add the buttered sandwiches, top-side down. Weight the sandwiches with a brick wrapped in aluminum foil (see “It’s that easy”) or another heavy pan. Cook until browned and crispy on the first side, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat if they threaten to brown too fast—you want the inside of the sandwich to be warmed through and the cheese oozing before the bread chars. Flip the sandwiches over and cook the second side for another 2 or 3 minutes until browned. Remove the sandwiches from the pan, cut in half, and serve hot.

tip:
The better the ham, the better the sandwich. Black Forest is delicious.

it’s that easy:
You don’t need no stinkin’ panini press. A foil-wrapped brick can do the job just as well. It compresses the meaty, juicy insides while helping the exterior crisp up to crunchy browned perfection. Now go ahead and give yourself a pat on the back, because you’ve just MacGyver’d a do-it-yourself panini press for creating great tasting, crispy-hot sandwiches at home.

extra hungry?
How about a pile of sea salt kettle-fried potato chips? You know you love them.

in the glass:
There is something fabulous about a cold beer with a hot sandwich. A Dos Equis from Mexico or a bottle of your current favorite brew would pair well with the pickles, mustard, and ham in this zesty sandwich.

Fried Green Tomato Sandwiches

with
BACON
and
CHUTNEY

Most everyone gets excited about ripe summer tomatoes. But I’m addicted to the unripened green ones! Especially when they’re fried up crispy in a hot, hot pan of bacon fat. And they’re even more delectable when paired with creamy avocado, crunchy iceberg lettuce, salty bacon, and tucked inside a toasted English muffin spread with tart-sweet Major Grey’s chutney. This meal, a harmonious blend of rebel yell and Union Jack, is definitely something to get excited about.

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START TO FINISH
35 minutes

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HANDS-ON TIME
35 minutes

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serves 2