Darragh Doiron
The Port Arthur News
PORT ARTHUR — NEDERLAND — In a search for something fried to put on a stick, Nederland church members went big. They’re planning to make hundreds of intricate Monte Cristo sandwiches and skewer them up for the Nederland Heritage Festival crowd.
Look for Hillcrest Baptist Church and their battered and fried sandwiches, with a side of raspberry jam, at The Cuisine Walk, along with curly fries you can flavor with vinegar, if you like.
Friends at Triangle Metals are making a special vat to handle all this frying. Kristin Stark said the church committee figured they would do well to sell about 400 or 500 of these babies, but the festival office suggested they may go through that many on Tuesday’s opening night. Folks do love their foods on a stick.
“Let’s Try it Again in 2010” is the Nederland Heritage Festival’s theme. The carnival will be open hrough Sunday, March 14 along Boston Avenue in Nederland. For more festival information, call Wanda Hollier at 724-2269.
Just being at the festival is a lucky break. Stark said everybody told her The Cuisine Walk features long-standing gigs with area civic groups raising money for local causes. She called anyway, and filled the spot of a sudden cancellation. Then the group had to decide what to make.
“What can you fry and put on a stick?” Starks said was the committee query.
They had some ideas, but the festival office mixed a few, because they were taken. Stark said she and Jadene Hathaway both seemed to think of Monte Cristo sandwiches at the same time, and the committee set about the challenging task of making, cooking and tasting several variations.
Tough job, but somebody had to do it.
They hit upon meat and cheese sandwiches on white bread, quartered, then double skewered so they won’t spin around the stick. Then the work goes into batter, then into oil to create the crunchy coating.
“It’s heaven on a stick,” Stark said, as the aroma of sweet dough permeated the church kitchen.
A pop of powdered sugar and the raspberry jam sweeten the presentation.
Funds will help the church school and youth with summer camps and missions. They hope to travel to Branson, Mo.
Who is this Monte Cristo?
“The Count of Monte Cristo” is an adventure novel by Alexandre Dumas, who also wrote “The Three Musketeers.” Themes of the book include hope, justice, vengeance, mercy, forgiveness and death. Fans possibly thought a good sandwich was the salute this tale needed.
The French call this sandwich Croque-Monsieur, or “Mister Crunch” and may have started this creation around 1910 with Gruyere cheese and lean ham on crustless bread and fried it in clarified butter. The French and Swiss love them at cafes.
Variations include sides of fruit preserves, clotted cream, maple syrup or sweet mustard sauce. Should you visit New York state, they prefer to call this sandwich Cumberland Head and serve it with Thousand Island Dressing.
The Nederland crewe is “sticking” with skewers and raspberry jam.
ddoiron@panews.com
