Louisville’s Legendary Hot Brown

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With so much to boast about —award-winning dining; breathtaking turn-of-the-century architecture; attentive, caring service—some may wonder: “Why the Hot Brown” was created at The Brown Hotel? Briefly here is history behind this now legendary dish.

In the 1920’s, The Brown Hotel drew over 1,200 guests each evening for its dinner dance. By the wee hours of the morning, guests would grow weary of dancing and make their way to the restaurant for a bite to eat. Sensing their desire for something more glamorous than traditional ham and eggs, Chef Fred Schmidt set out to create something new to tempt his guests’ palates. His unique dish? An open-faced turkey sandwich with bacon and a delicate Mornay sauce. The Hot Brown was born!

Available in The Brown Hotel restaurants, bar and through in-room dining, the Hot Brown continues to exemplify our unending dedication to serving their guests. Such culinary prowess and commitment, of course, doesn’t go unnoticed. The Hot Brown—a Louisville tradition with worldwide appeal—has been featured in Southern Living, The Los Angeles Times, NBC’s Today Show, ABC News with Diane Sawyer, Travel Channel’s Man v. Food, and The Wall Street Journal, and is a regular entry in many of the world’s finest cookbooks.

The Legendary Hot Brown

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 1/2 tablespoons salted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, plus extra for garnish
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
14 ounces sliced roasted turkey breast, slice thick
4 slices of Texas toast, with crusts trimmed
4 slices of bacon
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced in half
Ground smoked paprika, for garnish
Finely chopped parsley, for garnish

Directions:
In a two-quart saucepan, melt butter and slowly whisk in flour until combined to form a thick paste or roux. Continue to cook roux for 2 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Whisk heavy cream into the roux and cook over medium heat until the cream begins to simmer, about 2-3 minutes. Remove sauce from heat and slowly whisk in Pecorino-Romano cheese until the Mornay sauce is smooth. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.

For each Hot Brown, place one slice of toast in an oven safe dish and cover with 7 ounces of sliccd turkey. Take the two halves of Roma tomato and two toast points and set them alongside the base of turkey and toast. Pour half of the sauce over the dish, completely covering it. Sprinkle with additional cheese. Place entire dish under a broiler until cheese begins to brown and bubble. Remove and cross two pieces of crispy bacon on top. Sprinkle with paprika and parsley and serve immediately.

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Grilled Ginger Chicken and Shitake Mushroom Baos

A collection of leftovers can make a most interesting and tasty meal.

Yesterday, I posted the recipe for “Grilled Chicken with Ginger”, and I still had a perfectly one half of a yardbird that I just could not let go to waste.  As I was taught by my Grand and my Mother, nothing ever goes to waste in a cook’s kitchen.

And with that being said, I foraged around in the fridge and the pantry to see what I could find.

Lo and behold……..a  half of a Vidalia onion, some Shitake mushrooms, some baby spinach, some leftover Thai pickles, a few steamed buns, and  just enough Korean barbecue sauce I made  from scratch a few days earlier.

The left over adventure began with a few slices of Vidalia onion, a handful of Shitake mushrooms were sauteed in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil. The left over grilled ginger chicken was add to the onion and mushroom mix along with Chinese 5 Spice powder and  Korean barbecue sauce. Baby spinach and Thai pickles were added to left over pillowy steamed buns along with the meat and mushroom filling. The perfect side dish to accompany the chicken and Shitake baos was the  left over steamed Jasmine rice. This quick and easy meal was done in less than 20 minutes!

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Cuban Sandwich with Yuca Fries and Cilantro Lime Mayo

Cuban Sandwich with Yuca Friesand Cilantro Lime Mayo

The best Cuban Sandwich that you can find in the U.S. of A. is where  it originated….in Ybor City, Tampa Florida.The Cuban sandwich was originally called the “mixto” – ham, roast pork, Swiss cheese, mustard – and made for Ybor City cigar workers. Sicilians and immigrants from other parts of Italy joined Spanish and Cuban immigrants in the cigar factories, and Genoa salami was added, transforming the mixto into Cuban sandwich. Take a trip to Ybor City to taste the Cuban sandwiches for yourself! Graze your way down 7th Avenue and try each restaurant’s version of the Cuban sandwich. And trust me, you are gonna LOVE each and every one of them!