Spanish Ham and Cheese Monte Cristo Sandwiches

8 1/2-inch-thick slices sourdough or country-style French bread (each about 5 x 3 inches)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
6 ounces Manchego cheese, *thinly sliced
2 ounces thinly sliced Serrano ham or prosciutto
4 tablespoons membrillo (quince paste) or quince preserves
4 large eggs
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter

Chef's Note: I halved the recipe for dinner last night

***

What better way for the Chef to celebrate Cinco de Mayo than to write about a Spanish-style sandwich he ate last night? Well, to write about it while drinking a delicious "Sol". Imagine, a holiday to celebrate a military victory over the French. Hmmm....

Anyway, I have only had one or two Monte Cristo's in my life to date. I always thought they were decent. Then I saw this recipe in a "15 meals in 15 minutes" article, so I thought it was a perfect time to get some quick meals down pat, as my CASB module 2 begins tomorrow. <sigh>.

Some of the ingredients took some time (and traveling) to find. The Manchego cheese, the Serrano ham, the quince preserves (just a jam, really) along with the country-style French bread were all purchased at the Italian Market in Edmonton. Good stuff.

In terms of preparation, it was all pretty quick. I spent more time waiting for the butter to melt. And speaking of butter, I think next time I'd go a little easier on butter. Maybe halve it or cut 25% off.

The recipe calls for cooking the sandwich on a skillet, but I used my panini-press/griddle. 8 minutes is all the recipe calls for, and I gave it about 9 minutes. I might suggest maybe 10 or 11 minutes should be the maximum, depending how you like your cheese.

All in all, it worked out alright. I remembered that I'm not a huge fan of egg-dipped sandwiches after trying it out. I automatically just compare it to French Toast, and it just doesn't measure up. The ham was more than a little salty (no surprise there) and the cheese was forgettable. I might try a cheddar and granny smith apple mix next time. Without the egg.

Monte Cristo? Related to Marquis de Sade? Unlikely.

The photographic evidence (notice the Yum-Yum pickles? CJ's momma says it's not a grilled-cheese sandwich without the pickled sidekicks):

The grade: A solid, if unremarkable 7.2 out of 10.