Francesinha in the Air Fryer
The famous sandwich from Porto: crisp slices of toast layered with thin beef steak, ham and smoked sausage under a blanket of melted cheese, smothered in a hot tomato and beer sauce. The air fryer takes care of the bread, the meat and the cheesy gratin finish, while the sauce simmers on the stovetop.
Equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Ladle
- 1 Immersion blender
- 1 Small bowl
- 1 Brush
- 1 Parchment paper (for air fryer)
- 1 Frying pan
- 1 Turner
- 4 Deep plate
Ingredients
8 slices sandwich bread Preferably thick slices- 400 g beef steak Thinly sliced, e.g. minute steaks
1 tbsp olive oil- 8 slices cooked ham
- 250 g smoked sausage Pre-cooked, a stand-in for Portuguese linguiça
16 slices cheese E.g. Edam or mild Danbo
salt and pepper To taste
Tomato and beer sauce
25 g butter
1 pcs onion Finely chopped
2 clove garlic Finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato purée- 330 ml lager E.g. pilsner
400 g chopped tomatoes 1 tin
3 dl beef stock
1 dl port wine Optional- 1 pcs bay leaf
1 tsp chilli flakes Or piri-piri; use less for a mild sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp cornflour Mixed into 2 tbsp cold water
For serving
4 pcs eggs For fried eggs- 15 g butter For frying
Instructions
Preparation
- Finely chop 1 pcs onion and 2 clove garlic for the sauce.
- Cut 250 g smoked sausage in half lengthways and divide it into pieces that fit the slices of bread.
- Brush 400 g beef steak with 1 tbsp olive oil on both sides and season with salt and pepper.
Tomato and beer sauce
- Melt 25 g butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Sweat the onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes, until soft but not browned.
- Add 2 tbsp tomato purée and stir for 1 minute. Pour 330 ml lager, 400 g chopped tomatoes, 3 dl beef stock and 1 dl port wine into the saucepan, and add 1 pcs bay leaf, 1 tsp chilli flakes and 1 tsp sugar.
- Let the sauce simmer uncovered over a low to medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring now and then. Meanwhile, move on to the air fryer steps below, and come back to the sauce when the time is up.
- Take out the bay leaf and blend the sauce until completely smooth with a stick blender.
- Mix 1 tbsp cornflour into 2 tbsp cold water in a small bowl and pour it into the sauce, stirring. Bring the sauce back to the boil and cook for 1-2 minutes, until thick and glossy, then season with salt and pepper. Keep it warm over a low heat until serving.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 200 °C fan.
- Toast 8 slices sandwich bread in two batches of 4 slices at 200 °C for 3 minutes per batch, until golden and crisp.
- Place the sausage pieces and the beef in the basket in a single layer and cook them at 200 °C for 4 minutes, until the sausage has taken on some colour and the meat is just cooked through. Do this in two batches if everything won't fit. Pour the cooking juices from the bottom of the air fryer into the sauce. That gives it extra depth.
- Place 4 of the bread slices, each on its own piece of baking paper. Layer 8 slices cooked ham, the beef and the sausage on top: ham at the bottom, then beef and sausage, and finally ham again. Top with the last 4 bread slices as lids and press down lightly.
- Cover the sandwiches with 16 slices cheese, 4 slices on each, so the top is completely covered and the cheese hangs slightly over the edges. Press the slices down lightly so the airflow in the air fryer doesn't lift them.
- Cook the sandwiches at 180 °C for 5-6 minutes, 2 at a time: lift them into the basket on their baking paper and take them out when the cheese has melted and is bubbling lightly.
Serving
- Melt 15 g butter in a frying pan while the last batch is in the air fryer, and fry 4 pcs eggs sunny side up for 2-3 minutes, until the whites have set and the yolks are still runny.
- Transfer each Francesinha to a deep plate with a spatula, and place a fried egg on top.
- Serve immediately: ladle plenty of the hot tomato and beer sauce over each Francesinha, so it pools at the bottom of the plate, and put the rest of the sauce on the table.
Notes
Tips for the perfect result:
Toast the bread before you assemble the sandwiches. That way it can carry the meat, cheese and sauce without going soft. Only put the baking paper in the basket once the sandwich is sitting on it, so the paper doesn't get sucked up towards the heating element. Francesinha is often confused with a croque monsieur, but it is the layers of meat and the hot tomato and beer sauce (molho de francesinha), not béchamel, that make the dish. So don't skimp on the sauce. Variation:
If you can get hold of Portuguese linguiça or Spanish chorizo, it can replace the smoked sausage. In Porto, many people add a splash of brandy or whisky to the sauce along with the port, and some put an extra slice of cheese inside the sandwich. Serving:
Serve the Francesinha in deep plates with fries for dipping in the hot sauce. If your air fryer has two baskets, you can cook frozen fries at 200 °C for 15-18 minutes in one while the sandwiches get their cheesy gratin in the other. A cold lager is the classic choice on the side. Portion size:
A 5-6 litre air fryer typically has room for 2 sandwiches at a time. If your air fryer is smaller, bake them one at a time and keep the sauce warm in the meantime.
Toast the bread before you assemble the sandwiches. That way it can carry the meat, cheese and sauce without going soft. Only put the baking paper in the basket once the sandwich is sitting on it, so the paper doesn't get sucked up towards the heating element. Francesinha is often confused with a croque monsieur, but it is the layers of meat and the hot tomato and beer sauce (molho de francesinha), not béchamel, that make the dish. So don't skimp on the sauce. Variation:
If you can get hold of Portuguese linguiça or Spanish chorizo, it can replace the smoked sausage. In Porto, many people add a splash of brandy or whisky to the sauce along with the port, and some put an extra slice of cheese inside the sandwich. Serving:
Serve the Francesinha in deep plates with fries for dipping in the hot sauce. If your air fryer has two baskets, you can cook frozen fries at 200 °C for 15-18 minutes in one while the sandwiches get their cheesy gratin in the other. A cold lager is the classic choice on the side. Portion size:
A 5-6 litre air fryer typically has room for 2 sandwiches at a time. If your air fryer is smaller, bake them one at a time and keep the sauce warm in the meantime.
Nutrition
Calories: 1030kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 70gFat: 58gSaturated fat: 27gPolyunsaturated fat: 5gMonounsaturated fat: 21gTrans fat: 1gCholesterol: 390mgSodium: 2500mgPotassium: 1250mgFiber: 4gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 1400IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 610mgIron: 6mgNet carbohydrates: 46g
