When The Book of Sandwiches author, Jason Skrobar, was spending time in the UK, one of his favourite places was Borough Market. A bustling spot teeming with butchers, fishmongers, cheese makers and spice traders, it's got groceries and endless takeout stalls. It's here that the idea for his pastrami Monte Cristo sandwich was born when he ordered a duck pastrami number. Since duck pastrami was hard to find, he opted for the usual pastrami with his own tasty twist, making this hearty sandwich a go-to for weekend brunch or weeknight dinner.

Ingredients

2 tbsp Dijon mustard
4 slices egg bread
2 tbsp mayonnaise
12 slices pastrami
4 slices Gruyère
4 tbsp black cherry jam
2 large eggs
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
4 tbsp unsalted butter

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Spread mustard over one side of two slices of the bread and mayonnaise over one side of the other two. Divide the pastrami between the two mustard-slathered slices and top each with two slices of Gruyère. Evenly spread a few tablespoons of black cherry jam over each and then top with the other slice of bread mayo side down.
  3. Crack the eggs into a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Whisk to combine.
  4. Melt the butter in a cast-iron pan over medium heat. Carefully dip each sandwich into the egg mixture, letting each side soak for a minute or so, and then fry until the bottom is nicely golden brown, about 1–2 minutes. Flip and continue to cook for another 1–2 minutes.
  5. Transfer the sandwiches to the prepared baking sheet and into the oven to melt the cheese, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the sandwiches rest for 5 minutes before digging in and enjoying!

Excerpted from The Book of Sandwiches by Jason Skrobar. Copyright © 2024 Jason Skrobar. Photographs by Sébastian Dubois-Didcock. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.