Hot Brown
The Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky is notorious for it’s open-faced turkey, tomato, bacon and cheese sandwich. Introduced in the 1920’s as a late night snack after a long evening of dancing and partying, the legendary dish now has worldwide allure.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 tbsp salted butter
1 1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese (or Parmigiano Reggiano), plus extra for garnish
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper
14 oz sliced roasted turkey breast, slice thick
4 slices of Texas toast (crusts removed), or thick slices of bread
4 slices of bacon
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced in quarters
Paprika
Parsley
In a two-quart saucepan, melt butter and slowly whisk in flour until combined to form a thick paste or roux. Continue to cook roux for 2 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Whisk heavy cream into the roux and cook over medium heat until the cream begins to simmer, about 2-3 minutes. Remove sauce from heat and slowly whisk in Pecorino-Romano (or Parm-Reg) cheese until the Mornay sauce is smooth. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.
For each Hot Brown, place one slice of toast in an oven safe dish and cover with 7 oz turkey. Take the four quarters of Roma tomato and cut other piece of toast into two toast points and set them alongside the base of turkey and toast. Pour half of the sauce over the dish, completely covering it. Sprinkle with additional cheese. Place entire dish under a broiler until cheese begins to brown and bubble. Remove and cross two pieces of crispy bacon on top. Sprinkle with paprika and parsley and serve immediately.
