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.jpg) A Portuguese sandwich, the Francesinha | |
| Type | Sandwich |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Porto, Portugal |
| Main ingredients | Bread,ham,linguiça, fresh sausage (chipolata), steak or roast meat,cheese, spicedtomato-and-beer sauce |
| Variations | Egg atop, different proteins inside |
Francesinha (Portuguese pronunciation:[fɾɐ̃sɨˈziɲɐ] meaninglittle French woman[1][2]) is a Portuguesesandwich, originally fromPorto, made with layers of toasted bread and assorted hot meats such as roast, steak, wet-curedham,linguiça, orchipolata over which sliced cheese is melted by the ladling of a near-boiling tomato-and-beer sauce calledmolho de francesinha [pt].[1] It is typically served withfrench fries.
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The francesinha is a twentieth-century creation attributed to Daniel David de Silva[3] who, upon returning to Portugal from time spent in France and Belgium, tried to adapt thecroque-monsieur to Portuguese tastes. In 1953, he introduced a sandwich with local meats and a custom beer-and-tomato sauce at A Regaleira, a restaurant in Rua do Bonjardim inPorto. The francesinha quickly became a popular dish, and while it remains associated with the city, it can now be found throughout Portugal.
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There is no standard recipe for the francesinha. Different restaurants in Portugal have special variations, such as:
Thefrancesinha especial (special francesinha) is a francesinha with egg and/or potato chips. Other variations of the original include fillings such aspork,chicken,pastrami,tuna,cod andvegetarian options.
Francesinha sauce varies, with each establishment having its variation. The only common ingredient is beer. Most, though not all, sauces are tomato based and vary in their degree of spiciness. The colour is usually red or orange.
Francesinha poveira is a form of francesinha distinctive toPóvoa de Varzim, north ofPorto, created in the early 1960s. The poveira form uses different bread and sauce to form a sandwich that can be eaten by hand.
Pica-pau is a breadless variant in which a steak is cut into bite-sized pieces and covered with sauce. The namepica-pau (woodpecker) references the traditional means of consumption with small skewers or toothpicks—making the diner "peck" at the dish.
The Daily Meal included the francesinha in their article "12 Life-Changing Sandwiches You've Never Heard Of".[4]
