Chef Remy
Blackened Catfish on Jalapeno Cornbread
Crispy-crusted catfish kissed with fire and spice, resting on a wedge of tender jalapeno-studded cornbread, finished with a tangy Creole remoulade that ties the whole beautiful mess together.
Culinary Explorer
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Kentucky Hot Brown
Created by
Louisville's legendary open-faced sandwich: thick-sliced roasted turkey piled on toast, blanketed in bubbling Mornay sauce, crowned with crispy bacon and ripe tomato, then broiled until gloriously golden and irresistible.
Sandwiches & Wraps
Southern
Dinner Party
Special Occasion
30 min
Active Time
25 min cook•55 min total
Yield4 servings
In 1926, chef Fred Schmidt at the Brown Hotel in Louisville faced a problem. The late-night dancing crowds wanted something more substantial than the tired ham and eggs everyone else served. His solution was audacious: pile roasted turkey on toast, blanket it in Mornay sauce, top it with bacon and tomato, and run the whole affair under a broiler until it blistered and bubbled. The Kentucky Hot Brown was born, and Louisville has never recovered.
This is not a delicate sandwich. It arrives at your table crackling and bronzed, the sauce pooling at the edges of the plate, the bacon shattering when you cut through it. You need a knife and fork. You need an appetite. The Mornay sauce must be properly made: a béchamel enriched with good Parmesan and a bit of sharp cheddar, seasoned boldly enough to stand up to the turkey without overwhelming it.
I've served this to guests from both coasts who arrived skeptical of Kentucky's claim to a regional classic. Not one has left the table unconverted. The Hot Brown demonstrates what American cuisine does best: take familiar components, treat them with care, and create something greater than the sum of its parts.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
roasted turkey breast
Quantity
1 pound
thick-sliced
applewood-smoked bacon
Quantity
8 slices
thick-cut
sturdy white bread
Quantity
4 slices
Texas toast or thick-cut Pullman
ripe tomatoes
Quantity
2 medium
sliced 1/4-inch thick
fresh parsley
Quantity
for garnish
chopped
unsalted butter
Quantity
4 tablespoons
all-purpose flour
Quantity
1/4 cup
whole milk
Quantity
2 1/2 cups
warmed
Parmigiano-Reggiano
Quantity
1/2 cup
freshly grated
sharp white cheddar
Quantity
1/4 cup
grated
nutmeg
Quantity
1/4 teaspoon
freshly grated
kosher salt
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
white pepper
Quantity
1/4 teaspoon
cayenne pepper
Quantity
1/8 teaspoon
large egg yolk
Quantity
1
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| roasted turkey breastthick-sliced | 1 pound |
| applewood-smoked baconthick-cut | 8 slices |
| sturdy white breadTexas toast or thick-cut Pullman | 4 slices |
| ripe tomatoessliced 1/4-inch thick | 2 medium |
| fresh parsleychopped | for garnish |
| unsalted butter | 4 tablespoons |
| all-purpose flour | 1/4 cup |
| whole milkwarmed | 2 1/2 cups |
| Parmigiano-Reggianofreshly grated | 1/2 cup |
| sharp white cheddargrated | 1/4 cup |
| nutmegfreshly grated | 1/4 teaspoon |
| kosher salt | 1/2 teaspoon |
| white pepper | 1/4 teaspoon |
| cayenne pepper | 1/8 teaspoon |
| large egg yolk | 1 |
Equipment Needed
- •Oven-safe plates or shallow gratin dishes
- •Medium heavy-bottomed saucepan
- •Wire whisk
- •Rimmed baking sheet
Instructions
- 1
Cook the bacon
Arrange bacon strips in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Place in a cold oven, then set temperature to 400°F. Bake until deeply golden and crisp, 18 to 22 minutes. Starting in a cold oven renders the fat slowly and produces the crispest results. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve for assembly.
Bacon cooked in advance and held at room temperature stays crispier than bacon kept warm in the oven. - 2
Toast the bread
Toast your bread slices until deeply golden on both sides. You want sturdy, almost over-toasted bread here. It must support the weight of turkey and sauce without dissolving into mush. Set aside while you build the sauce.
- 3
Build the roux
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When the foaming subsides, whisk in the flour all at once. Cook this roux for two full minutes, stirring constantly, until it smells faintly nutty and looks like wet sand. Do not let it color. A white roux makes a clean, elegant Mornay.
- 4
Add the milk
Remove the pan from heat. Pour in the warm milk in a steady stream while whisking vigorously. This prevents lumps. Return to medium heat and cook, whisking frequently, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. It should leave a clear trail when you drag your finger through it.
Warm milk incorporates into roux more smoothly than cold. This simple step is the difference between silky and lumpy. - 5
Finish the Mornay
Remove sauce from heat. Stir in the Parmesan and cheddar until melted and smooth. Season with nutmeg, salt, white pepper, and cayenne. Whisk a spoonful of hot sauce into the egg yolk to temper it, then whisk that mixture back into the pot. The yolk enriches the sauce and helps it brown beautifully under the broiler.
Taste the sauce now. It should be boldly seasoned. Timid sauce makes a forgettable Hot Brown. - 6
Assemble the sandwiches
Position your oven rack about 6 inches from the broiler element. Preheat the broiler to high. Place each toast slice on an oven-safe plate or in a shallow gratin dish. Divide the turkey evenly among the toasts, piling it generously. You want height here. Ladle Mornay sauce over each sandwich, covering the turkey completely but leaving the corners of the toast peeking through. Those exposed edges will crisp under the broiler.
- 7
Broil until golden
Place the assembled sandwiches under the broiler. Watch them closely. In 3 to 5 minutes, the sauce will bubble vigorously and develop golden-brown spots across the surface. The edges will begin to caramelize. Remove the moment you see deep bronzing. The sauce continues cooking from residual heat.
- 8
Garnish and serve
Working quickly while everything is still bubbling, cross two strips of bacon over each sandwich. Tuck two or three tomato slices alongside the bacon. Scatter chopped parsley over the top. Serve immediately on the same plate it broiled on. Warn your guests: the plates are hot and the first bite will burn your tongue. It's worth it.
The bacon and tomato go on after broiling to preserve their textures. Broiled tomatoes turn to mush. Broiled bacon loses its crackle.
Chef Tips
- •The Brown Hotel uses Pullman bread, but Texas toast works beautifully. Avoid anything thin-sliced or soft. You need bread with backbone.
- •Leftover Thanksgiving turkey is traditional and perhaps even superior. The meat has had time to develop deeper flavor. Slice it thick against the grain.
- •If you must make this ahead, assemble everything except the tomato and bacon, then refrigerate. Add 5 minutes to the broiling time and watch carefully. The sauce should bubble before you call it done.
- •For transporting to a potluck, broil at home, wrap plates in foil, and nestle into a cooler with towels. Add cold tomatoes at the destination. The bacon will soften slightly but the flavor remains.
Advance Preparation
- •Mornay sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. Reheat gently, adding a splash of milk to restore consistency.
- •Bacon keeps crisp at room temperature for several hours. Do not refrigerate after cooking.
- •Turkey can be roasted or purchased up to 3 days ahead. Bring to room temperature before assembling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 450g)
Calories
985 calories
Total Fat
61 g
Saturated Fat
35 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
22 g
Cholesterol
247 mg
Sodium
900 mg
Total Carbohydrates
41 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Sugars
3 g
Protein
74 g
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