Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwich
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 2 lb. turkey breast
  • Olive oil
  • 8 slices thick cut bacon
  • 8 Slices Texas toast, crust trimmed
  • Brick of Pecorino Romano to grate for topping
Rub
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ¼ tsp. each black pepper, garlic powder, rosemary, sage, thyme
Mornay Sauce
  • 3 Tbsps. butter
  • 3 Tbsps. flour
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • ½ cup milk
  • ¾ cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (we used the cheese in the container, not the brick)
  • ¼ tsp. each black pepper, salt
  • ⅛ tsp cayenne, nutmeg
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Mix rub ingredients together. Rub olive oil all over turkey breast then rub with spice rub. Pour about an inch of water in roasting pan. Add the roasting rack and place the turkey on the rack. Insert a meat thermometer in the center of the breast. Bake on the center rack about 1½ -2 hours or until turkey reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F. Then remove the turkey from the oven and cover with foil and allow to sit until it reaches 165 degrees F.
  3. Fry bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and then chop. Keep the bacon drippings.
  4. To make the Mornay, heat butter in a saucepan on medium heat and add flour to make a roux. Cook 1-2 minutes.
  5. Turn off heat and wait 1 minute. Whisk in heavy cream and milk until well combined with the roux. Increase heat to medium/low and cook until it becomes frothy and thick, stir occasionally.
  6. Whisk in cheese, salt and spices. Cook until thick then turn off heat.
  7. Turn oven broiler on.
  8. Brush both sides of the bread with the bacon fat. Place in a baking sheet and broil 1-2 minutes each side until toasted. Do not walk away as the toast will brown fast!
  9. Remove toast from broiler. Place 4 slices of the the toast in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish and top each piece with ½ lb of sliced turkey, then a tomato slice, then smother in the mornay sauce. Sprinkle with freshly grated Pecorino Romano and broil about 5 minutes until bubbly.
  10. Slice the other 4 slices of toast diagonally to make "points" and set aside.
  11. Once the Hot Brown is hot and bubbly, remove from the broiler and plate each sandwich. Top with bacon, garnish with chopped parsley and place 2 toast points on each side of the sandwich. Eat immediately!
Notes
Pecorino Romano (Italian) is not the same as Romano (American, Canadian) cheese. Pecorino is made from sheep's milk where Romano is cow's (although can be sheep or goat). Pecorino has more "bite" and is more pungent. Romano is milder, and more resembles Parmigiano Reggiano (Parmesan) cheese. Romano or Parmesan may be substituted in the Mornay sauce. However, Pecorino is saltier so taste and adjust for salt.
Recipe by The Spice Kit Recipes at https://www.thespicekitrecipes.com/kentucky-hot-brown-sandwich/