Hot Brown Crostini

I’m a native Kentuckian and proud of it.  We are known for many things, primarily horse racing, bourbon and college basketball (go cats!).  But when it comes to food, one quintessential dish is the hot brown, created at the Brown Hotel in Louisville many years ago.  The hot brown is a decadent meal, not to be conquered every day.  For us, it was a standard day-after-Thanksgiving meal.  The leftover turkey was the ideal base for the bacon, tomato, toast and mornay sauce.  Since Thanksgiving only comes once a year, I put together my own little way to savor the hot brown flavors in a smaller, handheld package, any day I choose.  These crostini combine all of the elements of a hot brown – the salty bacon, creamy mornay sauce, sweet turkey with a hint of acid courtesy of the tomatoes.  Set atop the most wonderful bread from Blue Dog Bakery (Blue Dog Bakery, Louisville) and the equation is complete.  A savory bite of KY history, easy to prepare and perfect any time of year.  Just add bourbon!

To start, cut one half cup of grape tomatoes into eighths, dice two slices turkey and mince two tsp fresh parsley.  Take three ounces pancetta (Italian bacon) and chop it into small squares.  Using store-bought sliced turkey is an easy shortcut but I highly recommend roasting a turkey breast and dicing it into small cubes.  It makes an immense amount of flavor.  Simply season with salt and pepper and then roast in a 425 degree oven for 30-35 minutes until cooked through.  Allow to cool and then dice.

Cook the bacon over medium heat in a small amount of olive oil until brown, about five minutes.  Remove from the pan and set on a paper towel to drain off any excess grease.  Mix these four elements together in a bowl, add fresh cracked pepper, and set aside.

The sauce used for hot browns is called a mornay sauce.  It is a bechamel sauce with cheese added.  To begin the bechamel sauce, set one and one quarters cup whole milk over low heat.  Add one quarter of an onion, one bay leaf and a pinch of nutmeg.  Stir and allow to warm, stirring often, making sure the milk doesn’t come to a boil.  Allow to steep for 15 minutes.

While the milk is warming, add two tbs unsalted butter to a sauce pan and melt over low heat.

Once melted, add two tbs flour.  We are creating what is called a roux.  This will act as a thickener for the sauce, giving it a creamy consistency.

Whisk constantly over medium-low heat, bringing the butter and flour together and cooking away the rare flour taste.  Once combined, remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

Now, let’s make it a mornay sauce.  At this point, it is bechamel, but once you add cheese, it becomes a lovely mornay sauce.

I use shredded sharp cheddar cheese – three quarters of a cup.  Add to the sauce and mix until the cheese has melted completely and the sauce is smooth and creamy.  Remove from the heat and taste for seasoning.

As previously mentioned, I am using a Blue Dog Bakery baguette for this recipe.  It is by far my favorite bread, made by a local Louisville bakery.  The outside is wonderfully crusty and rustic while the bread incased is soft and airy.  It has a lovely flavor and texture – not too dense, creating a perfect base for this hot brown crostini and any other toasted sandwich or bruschetta recipe you may choose to prepare.  I highly recommend this bread and if you are in Louisville you will find it in most local restaurants and specialty food stores.  Slice the bread diagonally, into half-inch thick pieces.

Spoon the hot brown topping mixture onto the baguette slices and top with the mornay sauce.  Turn on the broiler and cook the crostini for five minutes, watching carefully to make sure they brown but do not burn.  This can happen very quickly when using a broiler, so do keep a close eye.  I keep my oven door open an inch, allowing for any excess heat to escape.

And there you have it.  A decadent appetizer with KY pride – something that is in no short supply where I come from.  I hope you enjoy!

Continue reading for the ingredient list and step-by-step directions!

Makes Eight

• one half cup of grape tomatoes, cut into eighths
• two slices turkey, diced, or one turkey breast roasted and diced
• two tsp fresh parsley, minced
• three ounces pancetta
• one tsp olive oil
• one half tsp fresh ground black pepper
• one and one quarters cup whole milk
• one quarter of an onion
• one bay leaf
• one pinch nutmeg
• two tbs unsalted butter
• two tbs flour
• one tsp salt
• one tsp freshly cracked black pepper
• three quarters cup sharp cheddar cheese
• crusty French baguette