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a plain plate with two brioche sandwich triangles encased on top and edges in a continuous crisp puffed golden deep-fried flour-batter shell with small irregular bubbles, their cut faces showing ham, turkey and melted Gruyere between exactly two bread layers, with a very light powdered-sugar dusting and a small plain cup of dark blackberry jam, without exposed French-toast texture, a third bread layer or garnish
Rachel Kim

Monte Cristo Sandwich

A light flour batter gives the Monte Cristo a crisp shell that’s different from bread simply dipped in egg. Build the sandwiches with two slices of brioche, press them gently and cut them before coating so the hot oil can reach the edges. Fry in small batches and use the oven finish to heat the ham, turkey and Gruyere all the way through. A little powdered sugar belongs on the crust, but it shouldn’t hide it. Keep the blackberry jam beside the sandwich so you can decide how much sweetness each bite needs.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 4
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 8 slices brioche sandwich bread
  • 6 oz thinly sliced fully cooked ham
  • 6 oz thinly sliced deli turkey
  • 4 oz Gruyere thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp fine salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup milk
  • 6 cups neutral oil for frying
  • 2 tsp powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup blackberry jam

Method
 

  1. Heat oven to 325°F and set a wire rack over a sheet pan. Spread bread with mustard and assemble four two-slice sandwiches with ham, turkey and Gruyere divided evenly.
  2. Press the sandwiches gently and cut each diagonally into two triangles. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt, then whisk in egg and milk to make a thick pourable batter.
  3. Heat frying oil in a deep heavy pot to 340°F, using a pot large enough that oil fills it no more than halfway. Keep a thermometer in place and adjust the heat between batches.
  4. Dip two sandwich triangles in batter, letting excess drip off, then lower carefully into the oil. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until golden; repeat in four total batches.
  5. Transfer fried triangles to the prepared rack. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes until the filling at the center reaches 165°F, checking more than one piece.
  6. Dust lightly with powdered sugar. Serve two triangles per person with 1 tablespoon blackberry jam alongside.