Tasting Table SF: Faith's Warm Ham-and-Cheese Toasts With Jalapeño Cream
To learn more about this recipe, see our related story, Home Run, in our San Francisco edition.
Recipe adapted from "Cooking My Way Back Home: Recipes From San Francisco's Town Hall, Anchor & Hope, and Salt House" by Mitchell Rosenthal (Ten Speed Press)
Faith's Warm Ham-And-Cheese Toasts With Jalapeño Cream
Faith's Warm Ham-and-Cheese Toasts With Jalapeño Cream
Servings
6
servings
Ingredients
- Jalapeño cream
- 4 cups heavy cream
- 4 jalapeño chiles, split lengthwise
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup grated St. George or medium-aged white cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- Toasts
- 12 slices sourdough bread, each ½ inch thick
- 6 thin slices Smithfield ham or prosciutto
- ½ cup grated St. George or medium-aged white cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 6 poached eggs, warm
Directions
- Make the jalapeño cream: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream and chiles. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cream coats the back of a wooden spoon and takes on the flavor of the chiles, 10 to 15 minutes. Discard the chiles.
- Add the Parmesan and St. George. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cheeses are completely melted. Add the salt and a few grinds of pepper. Set aside and keep warm.
- Make the toasts: Preheat the broiler. Place 6 bread slices on a work surface and top each slice with 1 ham slice. In a small bowl, combine the cheddar and Parmesan. Top the remaining 6 bread slices evenly with half of the cheese mixture. Place the ham-topped bread slices, ham side down, on the cheese-topped slices, creating 6 sandwiches. Using 1 tablespoon butter for each sandwich, brush both sides of each sandwich. Place the sandwiches in a panini press and grill until golden-brown. [If you do not have a panini press, place the sandwiches, 1 or 2 at a time, in a hot, lightly oiled sauté pan set over medium heat. Place a smaller second sauté pan on the sandwich(es) and place a heavy object, such as a brick or a filled kettle, on the upper skillet. After a few minutes, flip the sandwich(es) over and heat for a few minutes until golden-brown on the second side, or until both sides are golden-brown and the cheese is melted.] 4. Place each sandwich on a heatproof plate or sheet pan and top with a poached egg. Ladle the jalapeño cream evenly over each egg-topped sandwich. Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly over the sandwiches. Place under the broiler and broil until the cheese is lightly browned. Serve immediately.