Back in the 1950s, the Barcelona nightclub La Sala Bikini started serving croque monsieur, the French grilled ham and cheese sandwich. Because the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco didn’t allow French (or English) words in the lexicon, it was simply called the home sandwich, but patrons soon referred to it as the Bikini. Delicious when made with quintessential Spanish foods, it can also be personalized with other ingredients you have on hand.
Ingredients
- 4 large slices of crusty bread
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 4 ounces Manchego, Ibérico cheese, or provolone, very thinly sliced
- 4 ounces Ibérico chorizo or jamón, thinly sliced
- jarred piquillo peppers, drained, seeded, and slivered
- Spanish orange blossom honey
Directions
Brush one side of each bread slice with olive oil and build the sandwiches on two of the slices, layering on half the cheese, the meat, the peppers, and the rest of the cheese. Drizzle on some honey and then top with the remaining bread slices. Brush the outsides of the bread liberally with olive oil. Grill the sandwiches in a panini press or on a heated griddle until the cheese melts. If using a griddle, press down the sandwiches with a cast iron pan or other heavy pan for 5 minutes, flip and repeat. Transfer the sandwiches to a cutting board and cut into slices.
Serves 2 (4 as tapas)