16/08/2023
Introducing Portuguese Dish - Francesinha Sr Carvalho
Francesinha translates to “little French,” which gives away a piece of the story behind Porto’s francesinha. In the 1950s, Daniel Silva was a Portuguese immigrant living in France. He was allegedly inspired by the French dish Croque Monsieur and brought its inspiration back to Porto.
Inspired by the French hot sandwich, Daniel adapted this dish into the francesinha by replacing its main ingredients with traditional Portuguese products. His francesinha was much simpler than the one seen today with bread and baked beef. With melted cheese and a very rich flavourful sauce around it, some even believe it’s a sandwich for hangovers!
Although it is technically a sandwich, a francesinha is not eaten with your hands but instead with cutlery.
Tiago Martins SG: A bit of history of my take on this dish. Recalling back to my young working age of 16, I was appreciated by Mr. Carvalho, the chef and manager of a famous restaurant and let me learn the traditional Portuguese sandwich Francesinha in the kitchen. In memory of that day and in his honour, I added this Francesinha dish named after him to the Lusitano Restaurant menu.
