Fall

The Reubenesque

November 27, 2009
4
3 Ratings
  • Serves 1
Author Notes

When I lived in New York, my midtown office building housed a deli that made a great Reuben sandwich. So many grilled Reubens are greasy and not very pleasant to eat, but this version, while still hearty, was different – served open-faced on a base of crisp toasted bread, the meat and kraut components griddled before being layered on, and the cheese melted under a broiler, it was a delightful mix of textures and flavors. The sandwich was cut into quarters and served with a sidecar of dressing, so you could spread or dunk to your liking. This sandwich was inspired by that old favorite, with a tart and creamy aioli standing in for the traditional Russian dressing, and turkey replacing the corned beef. It’s a little bit lighter but still indulgent, and it's a fun way to remix Thanksgiving leftovers. —lastnightsdinner

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • The Reubenesque
  • 1 large slice country-style bread, about ½ inch thick
  • 1 tablespoon Cranberry-Mustard Aioli, plus additional for serving
  • 2 tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil, divided
  • 3-4 ounces shredded cooked turkey
  • Kosher or sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1/2 cup naturally fermented saurkraut, drained
  • 2 ounces soft young Fontina cheese, sliced
  • Cranberry-Mustard Aioli
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • Kosher or sea salt
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon grainy mustard
  • 1 tablespoon prepared cranberry sauce
Directions
  1. The Reubenesque
  2. Toast the bread, slather on a tablespoon of the aioli, and set aside.
  3. Brush a tablespoon of the oil on a griddle or in an iron skillet, and warm over medium heat. Add the turkey in a single layer, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the turkey is warmed through and some of the pieces are brown and crisp at the edges. Remove and place on the bread slices.
  4. Add the remaining oil to the pan and add the saurkraut, stirring occasionally, until the kraut is warm and beginning to brown. Remove from heat and place on top of the turkey.
  5. Preheat the broiler. Place the sliced Fontina on top of the saurkraut in a single layer, then run the sandwich under the broiler for just a few minutes, until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and browned in spots.
  6. Serve hot with additional aioli on the side, and don’t forget your knife, fork, potato chips and pickles.
  1. Cranberry-Mustard Aioli
  2. In a bowl, combine the egg yolk, Dijon, and a pinch of salt.
  3. Drop or drizzle in the oil as slowly as possible, whisking all the time, until you have a thick, smooth, glossy mixture.
  4. Add the grainy mustard and cranberry sauce and whisk until incorporated. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • aargersi
    aargersi
  • Droplet
    Droplet
  • AntoniaJames
    AntoniaJames
  • PhoebeLapine
    PhoebeLapine
  • WinnieAb
    WinnieAb

18 Reviews

aargersi November 15, 2012
I am so excited that this sandwich is coming back into my life next week. Seriously, maybe more excited about this than The Big Meal!!!
 
lastnightsdinner November 20, 2012
Ha! I'm looking forward to it myself - and this year we have homemade kraut, too :D Happy happy!
 
Droplet November 25, 2011
Truly Outstanding.
 
lastnightsdinner November 25, 2011
Thank you!
 
AntoniaJames November 25, 2011
Am rinsing a just-ready batch of sauerkraut to make these for Mr. T and my son!! The cranberry sauce is brilliant. ;o)
 
lastnightsdinner November 25, 2011
Thanks! I hope they enjoyed them, and that you all had a lovely holiday!
 
aargersi November 25, 2011
Best. Sandwich. Ever. I look forward to this more than the feast! Just ate one, waiting to get hungry again so I can have #2!!!
 
lastnightsdinner November 25, 2011
Aw, thank you! Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!
 
PhoebeLapine November 30, 2009
holy moley. this looks KILLER. love fontina as you know, but cranberry-mustard aioli is brilliant. cheers!
 
AntoniaJames November 30, 2009
Gorgeous! The cranberry-mustard aioli is such a nice touch, too! Definitely going to try this one. Thank you so much for creating and posting this utterly mouth-watering recipe!
 
WinnieAb November 29, 2009
Wow...sounds so good...I love love love this already.
 
lastnightsdinner November 30, 2009
Thanks to you, and to AntoniaJames, too!
 
Maria T. November 28, 2009
Yes, definately great, brilliant as always.
 
lastnightsdinner November 29, 2009
Thank you!
 
aargersi November 27, 2009
I am going to run downstairs and make this in a minute! What a great idea!
 
lastnightsdinner November 27, 2009
I hope you enjoy it! This was our lunch today and my husband loved it.
 
aargersi November 30, 2009
I only ate it every day until we ran out of turkey :-) I got a spicy cranberry salsa at our farmer's market and used that and it was DELISH! Thanks!!!
 
lastnightsdinner November 30, 2009
Ha ha! I'm so glad you liked it!