Hot Brown

Still in Charlevoix, leaving tomorrow early, coming back Thursday for another long weekend. Made a Thanksgiving dinner last Sunday and I made sandwiches, had another full Thanksgiving meal, made Turkey Tetrazinni and today, the best - a Hot Brown.

In the 1920's, The Brown Hotel, Louisville, Kentucky, drew over 1,200 guests each evening for its dinner dance. In the wee hours of the morning, the guests would grow tired of dancing and retire to the restaurant for a bite to eat. Diners were growing rapidly bored with the traditional ham and eggs, so Chef Fred Schmidt set out to create something new to tempt his guests' palates. His unique creation was an open-faced turkey sandwich with bacon and a delicate Mornay sauce.

Here it is, modified by me.

Hot Brown Recipe

Ingredients:

2 oz. Whole Butter

2 oz. All Purpose Flour

1 cup milk or enough to make a thick sauce

1/2 Cup shredded Parmesan and cheddar combined

1 Tablespoon Parmesan for Garnish

Salt & Pepper to Taste

8 oz. Sliced Roasted Turkey Breast

4 Slices of Toast (Crust Trimmed)

4 slices of Crispy Bacon

2 Roma Tomatoes, Sliced in Half

Paprika, Parsley

In a saucepan, melt butter and slowly whisk in flour until combined and forms a thick paste (roux).

Continue to cook roux for two minutes over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Whisk milk into the roux and cook over medium heat until it begins to simmer, about 2-3 minutes.

Remove sauce from heat and slowly whisk in cheese combination until the Mornay sauce is smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

For each Hot Brown, place one slice of toast in an oven safe dish and cover with serving of turkey. Take the two halves of Roma tomato and set them alongside the base of turkey and toast.

Next, pour the Mornay sauce to cover the dish. Sprinkle with additional Pecorino Romano cheese.

Place entire dish under a broiler until cheese begins to brown and bubble. Remove from broiler, cross two pieces of crispy bacon on top, sprinkle with paprika and parsley, and serve immediately.

Great!

Bon Appetit!