SERVES 2

Although this sandwich can be quartered and deep-fried, many of the earliest recipes, like this one adapted from The Brown Derby Cookbook (Doubleday, 1949), call for frying it in a skillet, like french toast.

2 eggs
1⁄4 cup milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 tbsp. butter, softened
6 pieces thinly sliced white bread
4 thin slices cooked turkey
4 thin slices cooked ham
4 thin slices swiss cheese
Confectioners' sugar
Red currant jelly

1. Lightly beat eggs and milk in a shallow bowl. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

2. For each sandwich, lightly butter 3 slices of bread on both sides. Place 2 slices of turkey and 2 of ham between 2 slices of bread. Top with 2 slices of cheese and add last slice of bread. Trim crusts, secure with toothpicks, and cut in half on the diagonal.

3. Melt 2 tbsp. of the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Dip sandwich halves, top and bottom, in batter. When butter foams, place sandwiches in skillet and fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add remaining 2 tbsp. butter to skillet, turn sandwiches, and fry for 2 minutes more. Transfer to plates, sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, and serve with jelly.