Falafel Horseshoe Sandwich with Tabasco Cheese

Dignity being briefly suspended.

Somewhere between a falafel stand and a Springfield, Illinois hangover cure, things got out of hand.

The horseshoe was never especially interested in restraint to begin with. Born in Springfield in the late 1920s, it started as toast topped with meat, potatoes, and a Welsh rarebit-style cheese sauce, then gradually settled into its modern form: Texas toast, a burger patty, French fries, and enough cheese sauce to render the word sandwich mostly ceremonial.

Falafel, by contrast, usually arrives with considerably better manners. Crisp, herbaceous, tucked into bread, accompanied by vegetables, tahini, maybe a pickle or two. It has structure. It has balance. It has spent generations proving that fried food can still possess dignity.

Here, that dignity is briefly suspended.

The falafel gets bulked up into a burger-sized patty with fresh parsley and garlic, fried until crisp, and placed on a slab of Texas toast. Crispy, formerly frozen fries go on top, heavily salted because this is not the moment for restraint. Then comes a sharp cheddar cream sauce spiked with Tabasco, poured over the whole thing until any lingering distinction between sandwich, platter, and minor infrastructure project disappears.

It is not traditional falafel. It is not a traditional horseshoe. It is, however, an extremely convincing argument for letting regional foods meet under questionable circumstances.

Enough cheese sauce to render the word sandwich mostly ceremonial.

The Recipe

Makes 4-6 servings.

Ingredients

• 5 cups broccoli florets, chopped

• 1 box falafel mix, plus ingredients called for on package

• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley

• 1 garlic clove, finely grated

• Olive oil, for frying

• About ½ bag frozen French fries

• Salt, generously

• 2 slices Texas toast

• ½ cup heavy cream

• 1½ cups sharp cheddar, finely grated

• Tabasco, to taste

• ¼ tsp garlic powder

• Salt, to taste

• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Make the falafel patties
   Prepare the falafel mix according to package directions. Stir in the parsley and grated garlic, then let the mixture rest as directed. Divide into 2 large burger-shaped patties.

2. Cook the fries
   Bake or air-fry the French fries according to package directions until deeply crisp. Salt them more enthusiastically than seems strictly necessary.

3. Fry the falafel
   Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the falafel patties and cook until crisp and deeply browned on both sides, turning carefully.

4. Toast the bread
   Toast the Texas toast until golden and sturdy enough to understand what is about to happen to it.

5. Make the cheese sauce
   Warm the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the cheddar a handful at a time, stirring until smooth before adding more. Season with Tabasco, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Keep warm over low heat.

6. Build the horseshoes
   Place one piece of toast on each plate. Top with a falafel patty, followed by a generous pile of fries.

7. Finish decisively
   Pour the warm Tabasco cheese sauce over everything.

Serve

Serve immediately, while the fries are still crisp enough to put up some resistance.