The Monte Cristo may just appear to be a humble sandwich to most, but to a select few, the Monte Cristo holds a deluge of potential. Plus, it’s a perfect protein-rich* snack!

*probably not.

Ingredients

Classic Monte Cristo Ingredients:

1 whole large egg
2 Tbsp whole milk
¼ tsp kosher salt
2 slices white bread
~1 Tbsp dijon mustard
~1 Tbsp mayonnaise
2-3 Tbsp raspberry jam
2 slice(s) deli swiss cheese
2 slices deli turkey
2 slices deli ham
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
As needed powdered sugar

Monte Cristo Pate en Croute Ingredients:

1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 small shallot, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
30 g dry white wine
350 g pork shoulder, coarsely ground
225 g turkey breast, diced
175 g smoked pancetta, diced
9 g kosher salt
2.25 g pink curing salt
4 g sugar
1 g freshly ground black pepper
.5 g white pepper
1 Tbsp fresh thyme, finely minced
2 tsp fresh sage, finely minced
30 g madeira
30 g cognac
1 whole large egg
Pastry Crust (see recipe below)
Egg Wash (see recipe below)
Raspberry Aspic (see recipe below)
Cheese Foam (see recipe below)
As needed whole grain mustard
As needed dill pickle chips

Pastry Crust Ingredients:

Adapted from recipe
1000 g all purpose flour
1 Tbsp kosher salt
250 g lard
500-550 g water

Egg Wash Ingredients:

1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
1 pinch kosher salt

Raspberry Aspic Ingredients:

400 g water
50 g good quality raspberry jam
7 sheets gold gelatin sheets
As needed cold water

Cheese Foam Ingredients:

Adapted from recipe
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
⅛ tsp xanthan gum
360 ml whole milk
200 g gruyere cheese, grated
120 ml heavy cream

Monte Cristo Patty Melt Ingredients:

6-8 oz ground turkey
3 Tbsp neutral oil, divided
1 vidalia onion, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp raspberry jam + more for serving
2 slices swiss cheese
¼ cup gruyere cheese, shredded
2 pieces hearty rye bread
2 tsp mayonnaise
1 ½ tsp dijon mustard
3 oz maple ham
1 whole egg
2 Tbsp whole milk
¼ tsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp unsalted butter

Method

Classic Monte Cristo Method:

Combine the egg, milk, and salt in a shallow bowl. Whisk to combine, then set aside.
Spread the mustard and mayonnaise on the side of one piece of bread, and the raspberry jam on the other.
Add one slice of swiss cheese to the mayo/mustard slice of bread, then layer the turkey and ham over top.
Add another slice of swiss over the ham, then place the other slice of bread (jam side down) over the cheese.
Dip each side of the sandwich into the egg mixture, letting it soak in for about 15-20 seconds on each side.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the egg-soaked sandwich to the skillet and cook on both sides until golden brown, crispy, and the cheese has melted, about 3-4 minutes.
Serve with a dusting of powdered sugar.

Monte Cristo Pate en Croute Method:

Melt the butter in a medium skillet. Add the shallot and cook until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
Add the wine to the pan and continue to cook until the wine has reduced by about 50 %. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool.
Combine the pork shoulder, turkey breast, and smoked pancetta in a bowl. Add the salt, pink curing salt, sugar, peppers, thyme, sage, madeira, cognac, and cooled shallot mixture to the bowl. Fold the mixture to thoroughly combine the ingredients.
Cover the surface of the meat mixture with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours.
The next day, preheat the oven to 375 °F with convection. Place a baking steel on the bottom rack of the oven while preheating.
Remove the meat mixture from the refrigerator and fold the egg into the meat mixture.
Spray a 8 ½ inch by 4 ½ inch baking tin with a generous coating of nonstick cooking spray.
Line the greased baking tin with the rolled out Pastry Crust. Use any extra dough to help press out any folds in the dough.
Fill the pastry cavity with the meat filling. Top with the pastry lid and seal shut the edges with a decorative crimp.
Brush the top of the pate en croute with Egg Wash. Optionally, using the back of a paring knife to score the top with a decorative pattern.
Using two large round pastry tips, cut out two equidistant rounds from the top of the pastry. Place the metal tips into the vacated holes to act as vents.
Bake the pate en croute for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 325 °F. Continue baking for 45-60 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and the internal temperature of the pate reaches 165 °F. If the filling is cooked but the top isn’t browned enough, increase the temperature to 400 °F with convection and continue to cook for 5 minutes or until the top is well browned.
Allow the pate en croute to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until completely cold.
Pour the Raspberry Aspic into the vents using the pastry tips as funnels. Remove the pastry tips, then return the pate en croute to the refrigerator until the aspic is set, about 2-4 hours.
Unmold the pate en croute, then slice and serve cold or at room temperature with Cheese Foam, whole grain mustard, and pickles.

Pastry Crust Method:

Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Whisk to combine, then make a well in the center of the flour and set aside.
Bring the lard and 500 grams of water to a simmer.
Pour the heated lard mixture into the flour well and stir to combine. Then, knead the dough until smooth, about 5 minutes.
Cover and let the dough rest for 20 minutes before rolling out.
When ready to use, remove ⅓ of the dough and set aside in plastic wrap for the lid. Roll out the remaining ⅔ of the dough to a rectangle about 14 inches long, 10.5 inches wide, and ¼ inch thick.
Roll the lid out to a rectangle 9 inches long, 5 inches wide, and ¼ thick thick.

Egg Wash Method:

Combine the egg, egg yolk, and salt in a small bowl. Whisk until the egg wash is homogenous.
Refrigerate until ready to use.

Raspberry Aspic Method:

Combine the water and raspberry jam in a small saucepot. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
Meanwhile, soak the gelatin sheets in cold water, completely submerged, for 6 minutes. Once bloomed, remove the sheets from the water and squeeze out the excess water.
Once at a simmer, turn off the heat and stir in the bloomed gelatin sheets.
Pour the still warm raspberry aspic into the vents of the Pate en Croute.
Refrigerate the Pate en Croute until the aspic is set, about 2-4 hours.

Cheese Foam Method:

Whisk to combinet he salt, pepper, and xathan gum in a small bowl.
Heat the milk in a small saucepot until simmering. Turn off the heat, then stir in the swiss cheese. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes.
Transfer the cheese mixture, salt mixture, and heavy cream to a blender. Blend until the mixture is completely smooth, then pour it into an isi whip canister. Charge the barrel with 2 nitrous-oxide chargers, then screw on the lid tightly.
Gently shake the canister. Refrigerate overnight before serving cold.

Monte Cristo Patty Melt Method:

Form the ground turkey into an oval patty about the size of the rye bread slices and set aside.
Preheat a large skillet with 2 tablespoons of neutral oil over low heat. Add the sliced onion and cook for 30 minutes or until the onions are well caramelized.
Transfer the caramelized onions to medium bowl and stir in the raspberry jam. Set aside until ready to use.
Heat the remaining tablespoon of neutral oil in a large non-stick skillet. Add the turkey patty and cook for 3-5 minutes per side or until browned. Cover the mostly cooked burger with swiss cheese and grated guryere cheese. Add the water to the skillet, then cover immediately to steam the cheese and finish cooking the patty, about 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Spread mayonnaise and mustard on one the slice of bread, then spread the caramelized onion mixture onto the other slice.
Add the ham onto of the mayo/mustard slice and top the onion slice with the turkey patty. Then, bring the two slices of bread together to form the sandwich.
In a large shallow dish, whisk together the egg, milk, and salt.
Dredge the assembled sandwich in the egg mixture.
Melt the butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the dredged sandwich to the skillet and cook on each side for 3-4 minutes or until well browned.
Slice and serve immediately with a dusting of powdered sugar and an extra dollop of raspberry jam.