Monte Cristo sandwich

You can never have enough sandwiches. After the Italian tramezzino and the French croque monsieur or madame, it’s time for the American Monte Cristo. A mix between sweet French toast and savory croque.

This is the oldest known recipe, taken from the 1949 cookbook of The Brown Derby restaurant in Los Angeles, which served the Monte Cristo to its chic Hollywood guests.

Method

Butter the first slice of bread and top it with slices of lean ham and chicken. Butter both sides of the middle slice, place it on the meat and top it with thinly sliced Swiss cheese. Butter the third slice and place it butter-side down on the cheese.

Cut off the crusts and divide the sandwich in half. Secure the two halves with toothpicks. Dip them one at a time into the beaten egg and fry them in butter on both sides until golden brown.

Remove the toothpicks, dust with powdered sugar and serve with redcurrant jelly, strawberry jam or cranberry sauce.

The Brown Derby Cookbook
Doubleday & Company
Garden City NY, 1949 (p. 183)