I noticed there is a lot of positivity in the world of food bloggers so maybe, just maybe, just once in a while, we need something to balance the emotion. Some Yang to go with the Ying. A unity of opposites in the food blogosphere. Yes. I have a negative experience I’d like to share.
The process of creating a recipe is obviously not a direct line, some folk have original ideas they build on, others adapt recipes by adding their own touches. Whatever way you do it the single common element is food bloggers all over world using their loved ones as guinea pigs. This post is a tribute to my loved ones and their suffering as I made a balls of Domini Kemp’s “Ham and Cheese Fried Sambos” as published in Saturday’s Irish Times Magazine. The recipe is a bit like the All-American Grilled Cheese meets French Toast who, in my case, reverted to talking about the war and quickly ended up on opposite sides of the room.
In a pitiful effort at self-validation it occurred to me why not share my not so positive experience to see if anybody tried to make the same thing and agrees with me. I’m having a post-mortem. I want to figure out what went wrong and who was to blame for the death of a recipe. I know in my heart of hearts Domini Kemp did a good job, the picture looked so good, so it saddens me so say this must have been pilot error. Has anybody else tried to make this? I don’t know if I’m allowed to actually re-print the recipe so I’ll just refer you to link above.
The problem I found was that the bread had to be cut so thick in order to get the ham and cheese stuffing in it ended as…well…just a mound of bread with some filling in the middle. It was certainly not a sandwich. How are you supposed to stuff a slice of bread with ham and cheese and not have the bread fall apart? Next time I’ll adapt and use two slices from a regular sliced pan but for now the mystery of the stuffed slice will remain just that.
Enlightenment via the comments section please.
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06/08/2008 at 11:26 am Permalink
I didn’t see the magazine, but I am guessing it’s supposed to be a Monte Cristo? As in the bread is battered then fried? In the US they dip the whole sandwich in batter (a thicker batter than just the French toast custard) and deep fry it. Not so heart healthy, but that was more in restaurants.
When I do them I use two separate slices and cut the bread about 3/4-1inch thick and dip them in normal French toast custard and fry each slice of bread on one side. Then flip one, put the fillings in and top with the other, cooked side down. Once bottom is done, flip again and cook other side.
This makes sure it all flips in one go and that they don’t get soggy inside. Not sure if that helps or even makes sense, since I didn’t see article!?
06/08/2008 at 12:14 pm Permalink
Yes, you’ve pretty much got it there Deborah, BTW the link above is a link to the recipe not just the Irish Times Magazine home page.
I think I prefer your way….maybe my loved ones aren’t out of the woods yet
Thx for taking the time to comment.
14/08/2008 at 8:59 am Permalink
One of the things we made recently was the Barefoot Contessa’s Croque Monsieur, which is absolutely delish, and something along these lines. Heart attack on a plate territory.
My old boss used to make a sandwich like Ms Kemp’s one, where he toasted tbe bread in a regular toaster, slapped on the ham & cheese, and then just griddled it on both sides in a little butter. Absolutely the best hangover cure ever. His Monte Cristo was equally good, but you’ll have to go there to taste it! (I’m sworn to secrecy…)
19/08/2008 at 8:08 am Permalink
very interesting
07/10/2008 at 1:56 pm Permalink
A version of this used be a ‘special’ lunchtime favourite in Westimer, Cork City many moons ago (Chef Kevin O’Connor’s innovation…including his deep-fried icecream dessert which is for another day). The sambo was never egg-fried but the bread brushed in a combination of olive oil and sunflower oil, always cooked off in a cast iron type pan. The ham and cheese were of Real and Swiss respectively. I prefer gruyere but I suppose Dubliner would be a cracker. When I make it these days I like to slow-heat/cook the sambo in the pan, trying to get the heat through to the middle. Sometimes successful…sometimes not. All in all I think the Domini Kemp recipe was finely tuned over a few attempts. Make your own and your own will make you!