When you’re looking for a quick lunch you might thoughtlessly throw together deli meats and cheeses without thinking about how the flavors will come together. That doesn’t have to be true. Of his many talents the late chef Anthony Bourdain—born and raised in New York—knew a lot about how to make a good sandwich shop better. Bourdain loved pastrami sandwiches from New York City bodegas but he also had his own recipe for an easy five-ingredient mortadella sandwich.
| Channel | Publish Date | Thumbnail & View Count | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
 Food Loves Company | 2022-11-27 16:00:21 |  39,296 Views |
Mortadella sandwich by Anthony Bourdain
In his 2016 book "Appetites: A Cookbook" Bourdain has an entire chapter dedicated to sandwiches that any budding chef (or anyone who's just plain hungry) can easily make at home. At the very end of that chapter is his mortadella cheese sandwich made with sliced mortadella and provolone cheese Dijon mustard mayonnaise and a sourdough or Kaiser roll. These ingredients aren't particularly hard to find at a grocery store even if you can't get fresh mortadella or cheese at your local deli. But simplicity isn't what makes this recipe shine in Bourdain's cookbook. He has a specific strategy for putting the meats together.
Anthony Bourdain's mortadella sandwich is quick and easy to make. In "Appetites" Bourdain says to start by cooking a generous amount of mortadella for just a minute or so until crispy and then arrange the slices in a few piles on the pan. Make sure to toast the bread ahead of time to prevent your sandwich from getting soggy. Then throw a few slices of provolone on each pile and assemble the piles together on the toasted bun. Half of the bun should have Dijon mustard on it and the other half should be spread with mayonnaise. If you can't find a good Kaiser roll any pillow-soft toasted bun will do. Bourdain recommends pairing this sandwich with a cold beer.
It’s easy to dismiss mortadella as “fancy bologna.” Although it’s a cured pork that also hails from the city of Bologna in Italy mortadella is mixed with small cubes of pork fat and often black pepper or pistachios. Mortadella’s unique flavor is mild and slightly peppery and its texture pairs well with provolone (which can range from mild to hot depending on the kind you buy and your own preferences). The combination of Dijon mustard and smooth mayonnaise adds a creamy finishing touch with a spicy kick.
