Martha Stewart shares some of her all-time favorite unique sandwich recipes—each one packed with unexpected flavor. From the sweet and savory perfection of the Monte Cristo to a bold Italian classic and her nostalgic take on liverwurst, these sandwiches are anything but ordinary.
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00:00Just about every one of us has a favorite sandwich. Some of us love the classics, grilled cheese or
00:06sliced roast turkey with lettuce and tomato and mayonnaise, and some of us like things just a
00:11little bit offbeat. This is one of my favorite sandwich recipes. It was really my father's
00:16favorite sandwich, and we ate these in the middle of the night when we were in a great big serious
00:22Scrabble tournament. I have definitely inherited his taste for this particular sandwich. It's an
00:29onion sandwich. Now, Dad would make it on white bread, like Wonder Bread, right out of the bag.
00:34It had to be really fresh bread, and spread the bread with sweet butter, and then slice a pungent
00:41white onion about a quarter of an inch thick. But I've definitely changed Dad's recipe and made my
00:48own adaptation. First of all, I'm going to use a homemade white Pullman loaf. This is a very
00:54delicious bread, and I've sliced it very, very thinly for snack sandwiches, and a little bit
01:02more thickly for a big full meal sandwich. In the days when Dad made the sandwich, he used that
01:09pungent white onion right out of the garden. Well, he didn't have the sweet onions like the
01:14Vidalias or the Maui, and I'm slicing the Maui onion right here as thinly as I can. And for the thin
01:23little snack sandwich, I'm going to use a sweet red onion that was just picked from my garden.
01:29And again, this is going to be sliced as thinly as I can.
01:33I have unsalted butter at room temperature so that it will spread very nicely on this thinly sliced
01:44bread. And then just spread as many onions as you like on the bread. That's probably enough.
02:00And the red onions. Salt and pepper. Onions like this, when they're raw, need a lot of salt and
02:14pepper. So have freshly ground pepper and kosher salt. And slice it into halves. Get that Scrabble
02:25tournament going. And you know what? You don't need more than one onion sandwich to get a triple
02:34word score and use up all seven letters. My favorite sandwich for late night Scrabble,
02:42onion on white bread.
02:44Well, Alexander Dumas wrote three very famous books among his other works. One's called The Man in the
02:51Iron Mask. Another one is The Three Musketeers. And my favorite, well, of course, because it's so
02:57romantic, is The Count of Monte Cristo. And today, I thought I would have the count, who is a great
03:04guy, by the way, come here and show us how he makes his wonderful sandwich. Count.
03:11Martha, come as I am.
03:13I know, I've already told him.
03:15I've told everybody about your book, my favorite book of Alexander Dumas.
03:19An excellent book. A very good friend of mine.
03:21Oh, okay. Well, I've sliced up some bread for you.
03:24An excellent job you have done.
03:26And this is a homemade white bread. And your sandwich, I am craving.
03:29So why don't you show us how you go about doing it?
03:32Okay. This is a very simple sandwich to make.
03:34Sean works here, but he thinks he is The Count of Monte Cristo.
03:37I do not know this is Sean. He must be a very handsome man, but...
03:41Okay.
03:41To the sandwich.
03:42It's a very easy sandwich, much like I grilled the cheese.
03:45Well, usually when I'm making sandwiches, I usually sort of put them out evenly so I
03:50know top, bottom, that kind of thing. Do you do that?
03:53I do not find it so difficult to figure out the top and the bottom.
03:56Okay.
03:57And in this sandwich, we would have two layers of cheese, which will melt around the meat.
04:01Keep it all together.
04:01Mustard on both sides?
04:02One side.
04:03Okay.
04:04That will give us the savory flavor that we need.
04:06Okay. And what kind of cheese?
04:08Okay. Normally, the sandwich is made with a Swiss cheese, but you can use any cheese that you like.
04:12Okay. So here we have some lovely thinly sliced Swiss so that it will melt very nice.
04:17Okay.
04:17I will start putting that on.
04:19What prison were you in?
04:20The name of the prison makes me sick. I chose to forget the name, Martha. Certain things we
04:25choose to forget.
04:26Okay. So...
04:27We will put cheese on both sides of the sandwich.
04:29Okay.
04:31Okay. Now we are going to go to some thinly sliced turkey.
04:34Oh, good.
04:34Exactly. This is a very good sandwich to serve if you have leftover turkeys.
04:38And do you make this for your friends?
04:39I make this for my friends. I make this for myself after holidays, but I'm tired of a
04:44normal turkey sandwich.
04:45That's great.
04:46Oh, it's excellent. Now we would put the ham on. You have a very nice ham, Martha.
04:51Excellent.
04:54Okay. Now we can close it back up with the cheese on the other side.
04:58Lovely.
05:00Now we need to make a batter because what we're going to do... This is a lot like a French
05:04toast.
05:04Oh, yum.
05:05So what we will do is we will take two large eggs.
05:09But those are smaller, so use three.
05:11We will simply break these into...
05:18Try to keep your lovely abode here very clean.
05:21You're very neat. Is the griddle already hot?
05:24The griddle is heating. We want that on a medium heat so we don't burn the bread while
05:28we are waiting for the cheese to melt. Now we will add a quarter cup of milk. So up about
05:33the three quarters. So this is a very good Halloween meal.
05:37And some people prefer it served almost as a breakfast. If you don't put the Dijon mustard
05:41on, you can dip this into like a syrup very nicely. It's very nice.
05:46Nutmeg too?
05:47Yes, a little nutmeg.
05:48I'll just put it in a dish.
05:50Excellent.
05:51Great.
05:53And let's give it a little bit of salt and a pepper for...
05:55Oh, great.
05:56It's an extra flavor.
05:56Okay.
05:58Hmm.
05:59I love the smell of nutmeg. Don't you, Count?
06:01I'm already starting to drool.
06:03Counts don't drool.
06:04This Count drools over his Martha Crystal sandwich.
06:07We'll dip the sandwich so that it soaks up that egg.
06:12Very nice.
06:13Now, we will take a little of the clarified butter.
06:17This is a warm...
06:20Ooh, that's nice.
06:22Take out of the sandwich.
06:23Feel free to use our hands.
06:24Yes, keep that at the median heat.
06:30This will take about four minutes a side to cook.
06:33We want that cheese to melt around the meats and hold it all together.
06:36Okay, so here's another one. Ready?
06:38Very nice.
06:40So your accent sounds a little kind of New York-y.
06:43What accent are you talking about?
06:45Yours.
06:46I don't believe I have any accent, Martha.
06:48I was going to ask about yours.
06:50New Jersey or Connecticut?
06:52New Jersey.
06:52Oh, New Jersey.
06:54I can smell that nutmeg.
07:00This one's starting to get dark on the one side.
07:03But that looks very nice.
07:04Notice how it looks like a French toast.
07:06So now, why do you think it's called Montecristo after you?
07:10I would say people call it that simply because I eat so many of them.
07:14Although the true meaning is not really known.
07:17Maybe that one's done back there.
07:19Or it's not melted enough.
07:21Yes, that one's looking very nice.
07:23Oh, yes.
07:25And you can see how that cheese has melted.
07:27Yes.
07:27Around that meat.
07:28That's very nice.
07:31Oh.
07:34Yeah, this one is ready to serve.
07:36Oh, put that on the board.
07:37Put it on the board.
07:38Oh, so you can cut it.
07:39Yes.
07:41That's extremely good.
07:43And serve this with.
07:50You can serve that.
07:51We have a little bit of salad today.
07:52I want a little bit of meal.
07:53Now, do you want sugar on yours?
07:55I will put the sugar on mine.
07:56Certainly.
07:56If you'd like to do that for me.
07:58Oh, that is a pretty.
07:59Oh, yes.
08:01I don't want to burn these.
08:03Our friends don't want to burn the sandwich.
08:07Excellent.
08:07Gorgeous.
08:08Well, here's yours.
08:09Well, thanks, Farrah.
08:09I will skip the sugar on mine.
08:11Okay.
08:11I think that this looks great, and I think the Count is actually quite a good cook.
08:15I think you made chicken wings with me once.
08:17I do not recall of that instance, but perhaps you're mistaking me for somebody else.
08:21I bet your mother would recall.
08:23Oh.
08:24What do you think, Mom?
08:25Can you make a good Count of Monte Cristo sandwich?
08:29I'll let you know.
08:30Mmm.
08:32Mmm.
08:33Good.
08:33We're having a picnic this afternoon, and my friends have asked me to bring the sandwiches.
08:38So I thought I'd surprise them with a variation of the ordinary sub and create this wonderful
08:43circular sub, it's called.
08:46An unusual combination of vegetables and a few interesting meats.
08:51Cut the loaf in half.
08:52I'm using a serrated bread knife.
08:56This is very, very sharp and very effective for cutting such a big loaf of bread.
09:00Start the cut, and then go through the bread, trying to keep it as even as possible.
09:10And because these fillings are so opulent, take out some of the interior of the bread.
09:16Don't throw it away, though.
09:17You can use it for stuffings and whatever else you use breadcrumbs for.
09:22Do it for the top and the bottom.
09:24This way, you're left with a real nice crusty bread without too much filling.
09:29This is a Sicilian peasant loaf of bread.
09:32And brush it with this delicious dressing.
09:37It's green.
09:38Two small bunches of fresh oregano.
09:41One quarter cup of lemon juice.
09:43Three quarters cup of olive oil.
09:45A little touch of garlic for flavor.
09:48And salt and pepper to taste.
09:50Do both sides, the top and the bottom.
09:52Using approximately a half a cup of the dressing.
09:57Now we're ready to layer our fillings.
10:01For the bottom layer, a black forest ham.
10:05Very thinly sliced.
10:07But that gives that flavor, that little bit of smoky flavor.
10:10Then grilled eggplant slices.
10:13Half inch slices of eggplant that are grilled over the fire or on the grill inside your house.
10:19Mmm, these have been marinated in a little bit of olive oil with a tiny bit of salt.
10:25Use nice young eggplants.
10:28And then we have a very spicy salami.
10:32I like this because each one of these things is designed to complement the others.
10:38And these are red and yellow peppers that have been roasted over the gas flame and peeled of their blackened skin.
10:47Mmm, this is looking good.
10:48And then soppressata, another nice sandwich meat that's Italian.
10:54Next to the last layer is fresh buffalo milk mozzarella.
10:59Sliced, a little less than a quarter of an inch thick.
11:03And then, one layer of large basil leaves.
11:08This is nice Genovese basil.
11:11This is like a medium bunch of basil.
11:14Washed well.
11:16All the leaves washed, taken off the stems, and spun dry.
11:19This adds a fragrance that is unbelievably good.
11:22I love waxed paper.
11:34It's very old-fashioned, but it keeps the food very fresh.
11:42And looks good on a picnic.
11:48Let's crisscross the waxed paper here.
11:52Put this on a breadboard.
12:04Put it in the refrigerator with a tray on top, maybe another breadboard.
12:07And I wait and let it stay for an hour or two to press together.
12:13Using that same great bread knife, that serrated long bread knife,
12:18cut the whole sandwich into wedges.
12:22I cut it right on top of the waxed paper in which it was wrapped.
12:26That way, in case anything falls out, doesn't dirty up your surface.
12:30Now look how delicious this layering looks.
12:34See how colorful it is?
12:35Green and red and white and pink from that wonderful Black Forest ham.
12:42That's a nice-looking sandwich.
12:43Then cut it in half first, then in quarters, then cut each quarter into eighths.
12:54See the importance of a sharp, good knife like this?
12:57Then take each wedge individually like that and wrap it in some more waxed paper.
13:04It has to be wrapped tightly, otherwise it would slip and slide.
13:09This waxed paper will hold it nice and firmly.
13:12Sandwiches are all pressed, cut into wedges, and pack off to the beach.
13:17Chachikasha really made the best potato salad.
13:21And today I'm really excited to have the recipe that I grew up eating at Chachikasha and Wichimechu's Delicatessen.
13:28Wichimechu means Uncle Mitchell, and Chachikasha means Aunt Catherine.
13:34And everyone in the family has his or her own theory as to why it's so good.
13:39My cousin Rudy, who sent me the recipe, Chachikasha was his mom, thinks it's the creaminess.
13:45And I, well, I think it's about the amount of vinegar.
13:48And once you make it, you can determine for yourself why it's so special.
13:51She always cooked, though, in a great big kettle, medium-sized red potatoes, about this size.
13:59They're low in starch, they hold together well, and she would boil them for about 30 minutes or so,
14:03covered first with cold water, brought to a boil, and then cooked until the potato was easily pierced with the point of a knife.
14:11So once the potatoes are cooked, drain them and allow them to cool slightly so that you can peel them.
14:16And peel them carefully.
14:17Chachikasha would not allow any helper to leave any skin whatsoever on the potato.
14:24And if there is a dark eye or something, she said, cut it out.
14:27It can't be sold like that.
14:29So I'm very fussy about the way that I cook and slice potatoes.
14:32And don't slice any more than a quarter of an inch thick.
14:36But look how nicely these potatoes slice.
14:38They're not crumbly, they are holding their shape nicely.
14:42And these are five potatoes of the medium red-skinned potatoes.
14:46Those are just the potatoes that are available all year round in the grocery store.
14:51So in this bowl, I'm going to mix the dressing.
14:54One medium white onion that is finely grated.
14:58Two-thirds of a cup of cold water.
15:01And a half a cup of white vinegar.
15:04Now we're also going to add a half a teaspoon of salt.
15:07And about one teaspoon of sugar.
15:12Sugar, salt, all very important in this recipe.
15:17So stir that up.
15:18And now while the potatoes are still warm, pour this mixture over your potatoes.
15:24And just slosh it around.
15:28Don't stir with a wooden spoon.
15:29And if you start to stir, the potatoes break up.
15:32You can gently slide the potatoes into another bowl to do a little bit of the mixing.
15:40Now it looks like a lot of liquid in the bottom of the bowl.
15:43But you'll be surprised.
15:45In ten minutes or so, all the liquid is absorbed back into the potatoes.
15:49So while this is happening, it's going to take about ten minutes.
15:51I'll make something else that I would order from Wuchi Mechu behind the counter.
15:57Always a liverwurst sandwich.
16:00They had other sandwiches there, but I really loved the Mother Goose liverwurst that they had
16:05right there in the deli.
16:08I love a lot of mayonnaise with my liverwurst.
16:12And liverwurst can be sliced like this.
16:15Only in delis can they slice it so well.
16:18Or it can be spread on the bread too.
16:21But plenty of liverwurst.
16:23Very important to the sandwich.
16:27And always on really good deli rye bread.
16:30And I like mustard, so I would always ask for mustard.
16:34And I don't remember what kind of mustard they had.
16:36They probably had French's mustard or one of those yellow mustards.
16:39But I like Dijon mustard on my liverwurst nowadays.
16:43So that's how I'll make it.
16:45Now you could add sliced onion, like sliced white onion.
16:49But I like it.
16:51Plain like this.
16:52There is my liverwurst sandwich.
16:55So that's ready.
16:57So now it seems like most of the liquid...
17:01Oh no, it's still a little bit to be absorbed.
17:04But you can just pour this bowl to bowl.
17:12And it's smelling very good.
17:13And now you add one cup of Hellman's mayonnaise to the potato salad.
17:18And Chichikasha always used Hellman's mayonnaise.
17:21And you'd put it in the bowl and stir it so it's nice and smooth.
17:25And then start pouring the potatoes back and forth again.
17:33Now I have to put a little bit more mayonnaise in.
17:37This has to be a full cup.
17:38I've invited my mother over today to taste the potato salad.
17:49So I better make it right.
17:50See how creamy it's getting?
17:58And so now this has to stay in the refrigerator for two hours.
18:03My sandwiches.
18:04And we have one in the refrigerator already made.
18:06And my mom's over here.
18:10Hi, Mom.
18:11Hi.
18:11Come on in.
18:13I have a little treat for you.
18:14Mmm.
18:15What did you make?
18:16Well, Rudy sent me the recipe.
18:20Oh, his mother's potato salad.
18:23Yes, and I wanted to see if you thought it was similar to...
18:26It looks similar.
18:28I think she might have used littler potatoes, but...
18:30I remember the big kettles of potatoes cooking every week.
18:34Oh, my.
18:36Well, that's for me.
18:36I can eat that much.
18:38And here, I'll give you a little bit.
18:40But, oh, it's so creamy and delicious.
18:42You want a half of liverwurst sandwich, too?
18:44Oh, liverwurst, your favorite.
18:46Oh, yes.
18:47Liverwurst.
18:47Mine, too, actually.
18:48And mustard.
18:50And here's a fork.
18:52Mmm.
18:53So if you're in the mood for a real creamy deli-style potato salad...
19:01What do you think?
19:03Very good.
19:04Does it taste like that?
19:05Mm-hmm.
19:06This potato salad was a favorite with all the customers.
19:09Oh, everybody.
19:10And in the coleslaw, and every Friday, she would make...
19:13The baked beans.
19:14She would make the codfish cakes, too, which were a big favorite.
19:18I'm reliving my time in Jersey City.
19:21Your childhood.
19:21You were a little girl, maybe six, seven years old, when we were going over there and partaking
19:26of all these little delicious things.
19:28Mm-hmm.
19:28Well, I miss Chachikasha, but now I don't have to miss her potato salad.
19:35Thanks a lot, Rudy, for sending us the recipe.
19:37It's as good as I remember.
19:39Thanks.
19:40Mm.
19:40Very good.
19:43She was a nice lady, too.
19:44So...