Wednesday, November 25, 2009

The Ultimate Turkey Sandwich

I love hollandaise sauce! It just goes so perfectly on everything. Mmm...so creamy and delicious! I'm consistently drawn to menu items that offer it. Though I've had it countless times while dining out, I've always been too intimidated by it to actually make it at home. Sauces can be daunting. You know? I kept thinking that it would be something to try when my Domestic Goddess skills became more refined.

But recently, I've been feeling super bold and adventurous in the kitchen. Heck, after the Red Velvet White Chocolate Cheesecake and Tom Douglas' Triple Coconut Cream Pie, I felt like I could do anything!

So here it is: The Ultimate Turkey Sandwich



It's a face-up sandwich with egg battered thick-cut bread, topped with turkey breast, fresh spinach, crispy pancetta, sundried tomatoes, and the highlight: hollandaise sauce. You're gonna have to use a knife and fork for this one!


(1) The Hollandaise Sauce



Prepare a bain marie, also known as a hot water bath. Fill a medium saucepan with 2 inches of water and bring it to a boil, then reduce heat so the water is barely simmering.


Whisk yolks off the heat until they become pale. (Obviously they're not pale yet in this picture, I don't know why I didn't take any pictures of it when it was in the correct state. lol. Oh well, I'm still a Domestic Goddess in training, right? hehe)


After they've become pale, place the bowl over the bain marie.


Whisking constantly, cook until the mixture is thick enough to hold a trail from the whisk and begins to hold its shape when drizzled from the whisk. Remove from heat.


Add butter 1 tbsp at a time, whisking until each addition is incorporated completely before adding the next.


When all the butter has been added, season with lemon juice, salt, and cayenne. You're done!


(2) The Pancetta & Other Toppings



Place four pieces of thinly sliced pancetta on a lined baking sheet. Bake in the 425 degree oven for about 10 minutes, or until crispy.


Remove immediately from the pan and blot dry with paper towels.


The other toppings: turkey breast (left over turkey from Thanksgiving would be the best, but since I didn't have any, I went ghetto and got some smoked turkey breast from the deli. It was still pretty delicious!), sun dried tomatoes, and fresh spinach! If you're using sliced deli turkey, make sure to warm it up before serving it on the sandwich.


(3) The Bread



Use a thick-cut type of bread. It's usually called Egg Bread or Texas Toast. You can find it at your regular grocery store, in the sliced bread aisle. People commonly use it for french toast, because it can hold on to the egg batter really well, without tearing.



Create an egg batter by combining eggs, milk, and salt. Coat each slice of bread generously with the batter.


Drizzle a bit of olive oil on a griddle set on medium-high heat. Brown each side, about 3-4 minutes.


Transfer immediately onto a serving platter and begin to assemble your sandwich!


(4) Assemble your sandwich



Basically, pile everything on top of the egg battered bread! And add a side of hollandaise sauce.


Or pour it directly on top!


I don't know what I was so worried about. The hollandaise sauce was super easy to make! It came out really well. It was creamy and super tangy from the lemon and cayenne. It had a really delicious flavor that went well with the sandwich. Hubby really enjoyed it!

Hollandaise sauce is awesome because it provides a great base to build flavors upon. You can change it up with countless variations. I saw a recipe the other day for a Citrus & Chive Hollandaise sauce that apparently goes great on steamed asparagus! It's now on my to-try list, since I'm no longer intimidated by it! =)


Please click HERE for the recipes shown in this entry.

4 comments:

  1. Oh Dear - do you realize how much I like crispy pancetta??? Why do you torture me so?

    :)
    ButterYum

    Happy Thanksgiving!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Judy, that's a mouthwatering sandwich,esp. with fried pancetta!
    Happy Thanksgiving!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I don't eat meat, but this sandwich looks awesome! I bet my carnivore boyfriend would gobble this right up.

    ReplyDelete

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