Cherry Cristo

Cherry Cristo

Yields: 2 sandwiches

• 6 large eggs
• ½ cup heavy or whipping cream
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp orange zest 
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
• 2 bacon strips, cut into ¼-inch pieces
• 8 oz sweet cherries, pitted
• ¼ cup (2 oz) maple syrup
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 4 (½-inch-thick) slices challah or brioche bread (or bread of your choice)
• 6 thin slices capicola ham, prosciutto or good-quality ham
• ¼ cup toasted walnuts
• 1 lemon 

In large bowl, with whisk, beat eggs, cream, sugar, zest and vanilla until well blended; set aside.

In large skillet over low heat, cook bacon until most fat is rendered and bacon is crisp, stirring occasionally. Add cherries and maple syrup and cook 4 to 6 minutes over medium heat until cherries soften and mixture thickens slightly. Remove skillet from heat; let stand at room temperature to cool.

In wide-bottomed large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Meanwhile, dip bread in egg mixture to coat both sides, then transfer to skillet, in batches if necessary, and cook about 3 minutes on each side or until browned; transfer bread to each of 2 plates. Remove skillet from heat.

Place capicola in skillet and use its residual heat to warm up capicola; place 3 slices capicola on bottom halves of 2 slices of bread, then top with second slice of bread. Pour cherry-bacon sauce on top; crumble walnuts over sandwiches and grate some lemon zest on top to serve.