The Fishwich

I was reading one of several blogs that I follow and noticed a fish sandwich and WOW that was such a blast from the past! I knew instantly that was on the menu as quickly as possible.

I was not the normal kid who went to McDonalds and got the happy meal and was thrilled with the free toy. Sorry Dad, you were not going to get off that easy…NO, I was the kid who at the fish sandwich or as time went on the PLAIN cheeseburger before it was "make it your way" time. The poor guy had to stand there for 10 minutes while everyone else ate their meals while they "made" my fish sandwich (because I didn't like condiments…then). There are only two fish sandwiches that have rocked in my adult life. The first was a salmon sandwich I had in Alaska and the second is THIS cod sandwich. Two VERY different meals but the outcome was amazing. An honorable mention is the crab cake sammi at Cheesecake Factory but is that really a fish?

SO, when I saw this blog post I got really excited! Not to mention I have been baking my own bread lately and was ready to make some homemade rolls (that's another post). SO off to the store to pick up some white fish…

Now, for all you Bostonians get either haddock or scrod. All you west coasters, its all about the Cod. Basically any white flakey mild fish you can find would be good for this. Because the fish is delicate you should get a soft roll with a soft crust. Brioche would be fantastic.

You can make the batter, rolls and tarter sauce (if you make that homemade) several hours ahead of time. Unfortunately you need to fry and eat these babies up quickly. Since I only made these for myself and my husband I heated the oil in my wok. After you fry them put them on a cooling rack or something where air circulates around them. If you put it directly on a paper towel then the bottom will get soggy.

Sorry peeps, no pictures they were gone THAT fast! My husband keeps asking me when I will make them next…

Fishwich
1 lb white fish cut into 4 pieces to match your roll size (check for bones)
1 cup dark beer (I used Newcastle)
1 ½ t baking powder
1 cup flour
4 slices cheese (I used cheddar)
Sea salt
Pepper
Peanut oil

Combine flour, beer, baking powder, pinch of salt and pepper, blend (I used my immersion blender). Store in fridge until ready to fry fish)

Heat up oil, enough to immerse fish in. you want this to be a pan fry (not a sauté or a deep fry). 365 degrees

Dip fish in batter then fry in oil about 2 minutes on each side (depending on how thick the fish is)

Arrange sandwich: Roll bottom, cheese, fish, and tartar sauce, roll top -EAT!

Fancy French Sammie-the Croque Monsieur

I have yet to meet a person that doesn't love a grilled ham and cheese sandwich. Leave it to the French to "kick it up a notch" with the Croque Monsier (aka "The Crispy Mister"). Some people might think this is overkill for a ham sandwich but when its all put together this is a MEAL.

A little history… Croque Monsieur Sandwiches were first served in 1910 in the "Le Trou dans le Mur" café on the Boulevard des Capucines in Paris, across from the Café de la paix. [Larousse Gastronomique. 1988 English edition. Page 339.].

There are so many variations to this Sammie. Some add apples, or pears, different cheeses, breads, hams and mustards. The recipe below is a basic Croque Monsieur doctored up with some yummy béchamel. We often see the Croque Madame as an option on menu's. Here in the US it usually means an egg on top. Traditionally in France it means to substitute chicken for the ham.

Traditional CM's are fantastic for entertaining as an appie or the main course. Depending on which course it will be served at will dictate the bread. If I am serving as an appie I will use a good white bread, cut off the crusts, omit the béchamel if you want and cut it into 4 or 8 triangles. If you do 8 triangles stick toothpicks in them so people can just pop them in their mouth. I have yet to have any leftovers. If you are serving this as a main I pick a nice French bread (not a baguette). When prepping these in advance with the béchamel sauce first assemble the sandwiches and then cook the béchamel but be sure to cover the sauce with a piece of buttered wax paper. The paper must touch the entire surface of the sauce. It is best to reheat this over a double boiler. Serve this either with salad, your favorite soup or if you're feeling naughty, some fries!

Croque Monsier
4 sandwiches

 3 T butter
3 T flour
1 C milk
2 T Parmesean Reggiano grated
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Salt/pepper
8 slices of bread
16 slices of Black Forest Ham thin sliced
2 1/3 Cups Gruyere shredded
Dijon Mustard

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
   
2. To make béchamel sauce: In a small saucepan on low heat, melt butter until foamy. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly with a flat sauce whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Slowly add milk and nutmeg to saucepan. Whisking constantly, bring to a simmer; continue cooking until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in Parmigiano and 2 tbsp grated Gruyère. Reserve.
   
3. Lightly and evenly butter bread slices on both sides and toast both sides in sauté pan over low heat until just golden brown.
   
4. Spread one side of each toasted slice with mustard.
   
5. Evenly place the ham slices and about ½ cup Gruyère cheese on four of the bread slices.
   
6. Top each with one of remaining bread slices, mustard-side down.
   
7. Spread béchamel sauce to cover the top of each sandwich (crusts, too).
   
8. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining Gruyère cheese.
   
9. Place on oven-safe sheet pan and bake 5 minutes at 350 degrees, then place under lit broiler until cheese mixture on top is bubbling and lightly browned, about 3 minutes