Francesinha
Porto's sandwich: steak, sausage and ham between bread, wrapped in melted cheese and flooded with a beer and tomato sauce, with chips and a fried egg.
Photograph credit: Francesinha Poveira by Inclusion et Aequalitate · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Photograph credit: Francesinha encaixados porto portugal by Ih8connecticut · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Method
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For the sauce, melt the butter and cook the onion 8 minutes until soft. Add the garlic for 1 minute.
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Stir in the flour and cook 2 minutes, then add the beer and let it bubble 3 minutes.
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Add the stock, passata, tomato purée, bay, piri-piri, Worcestershire and sugar. Simmer 25 minutes until it thickens slightly.
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Blend smooth, return to the pan, stir in the cream and season. Keep it hot.
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Fry the sausages until cooked through, and sear the steaks 90 seconds a side. Rest and slice the steak.
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Toast the bread lightly on both sides.
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Build each sandwich: bread, ham, sausage, steak, mortadella, then the second slice of bread.
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Sit each on an ovenproof plate and drape the cheese over the top and down all four sides so the sandwich is completely wrapped.
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Grill under a hot grill for 3 to 4 minutes until the cheese melts and blisters.
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Ladle the hot sauce over and around, top with a fried egg, and serve with chips piled at the side.
Chef’s Tips
- Wrap the whole sandwich in cheese, sides included. It is the waterproofing.
- Sauce hot and poured at the table, over and around.
- Blend the sauce smooth — a lumpy francesinha sauce is nobody's friend.
Common Substitutions & Variations
- Double cream won't whip if you swap it, but for the cooking itself, full-fat crème fraîche or a lower-fat single cream works in its place.
- An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.
Pairing Suggestions
- A cold Super Bock
- Chips
- A green salad, for form's sake
Storage & Reheating
Sauce keeps 4 days refrigerated and freezes 2 months. Build the sandwiches to order.
Common questions
How long does Francesinha take to make?
About 55 minutes in total — 25 minutes of preparation and 30 minutes of cooking. The recipe serves 2.
What are the key tips for making Francesinha?
Wrap the whole sandwich in cheese, sides included. It is the waterproofing. Sauce hot and poured at the table, over and around. Blend the sauce smooth — a lumpy francesinha sauce is nobody's friend.
What should I serve with Francesinha?
A cold Super Bock; Chips; A green salad, for form's sake.
Can Francesinha be made ahead or frozen?
Sauce keeps 4 days refrigerated and freezes 2 months. Build the sandwiches to order.
Is Francesinha suitable for a special diet?
This recipe is high-protein. Those labels are checked against the ingredient list, so a dish is only marked when nothing in it contradicts the claim.
How many calories are in Francesinha?
About 1240 kcal per serving, with 68 g protein, 78 g carbohydrate and 74 g fat. The figures are calculated from the ingredient list and are an estimate.
Nutritional Highlights
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.
Reader Reviews
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Written and tested by Turab
One person, one kitchen — no test kitchen, no team. How every recipe on this site is checked before it goes up.
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