Piccante Mortadella Panino – AKA: Ooey-Gooey, Cheesy, Piggy Product!

First, let’s get one thing straight. Panini are plural. Panino is singular. It doesn’t make sense when one says, “Well, I had a panini for lunch today.” You just said, “I had a sandwiches for lunch today.” Come on dude. Get your life together. Rant over.

Now that’s out of the way, we can talk about said sandwiches. Does owning a panini press make you more impressive? Yes, it does. Add it to the list of toys that secures entirely-secure males’ positions as leaders among men who will die with the most shiny objects. Also, should it be called a “panino” press using the aforementioned logic? Maybe, but that’s no longer the topic.

In reality, does one even need a panini press for this recipe? Not really. You don’t even need to press it for it to be a great sandwich. Buuut, there’s just something about smashing and melting all those ingredients together. Compacting the meat and cheese, and the crispness and warmth of the bread give the whole package an air of sophistication.

This sandwich is great any time of year for any occasion. I love pairing things like this with an Italian blood orange soda or espresso beverage, and eating while enjoying some nonsense on Netflix. Pig out with some friends or by yourself, who cares? You don’t have to worry about what you’re wearing, it’s just going to get some mortadella grease on it anyway. So remember, don’t worry about how you look, since sandwiches never go out of style.

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Servings: 1 Sandwich (Multiply to your desire)

Ingredients: (The following is just a list without quantities. Why? It’s a sandwich, not rocket science. Use your best judgment on how much of what you want to put in there.)

• Bread (Roll or Sliced, Sourdough used in recipe)
• Mortadella
• Fontina Cheese
• Red Onion
• Roasted Red Bell Pepper
• Crushed Hot Pepper Spread
• Mayonnaise
• Garlic Cloves
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt/Pepper

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1.) First things first, let turn that panini press on. I know, most of them have an automatic sensor that tells you when it’s preheated and ready to use, and even has a handy-dandy timer with lights telling you when the sandwich is supposed to be done, and other fancy features. In my opinion, across the board, you’ll want the press on for a WHILE before you use it, no matter what it’s telling you.

Now, if you don’t have an electric panini press, don’t worry, it’s still just a sandwich. It doesn’t need to be “panino-fied.” There are also other ways to press it, which we’ll get to later.

2.) Enough talk, we’ve got some browning to do, so let’s get started. Begin with taking a medium stainless steel pan, not a non-stick pan, and preheating it on medium-high heat. Add a small amount of neutral, high smoke-point oil like canola, vegetable or avocado oil and wait till it “shimmers.” We’re going to brown three items: the mortadella, bell pepper, and onions.

Browning the mortadella gives it a nice texture and flavor, and leaves some nice goo in the pan for later, so let’s begin with that. I fold the mortadella so that it all fits into the pan and let it cook for about 45 seconds each side. Take those out and put them aside on a plate.

Next will be to further brown the roasted bell pepper you bought in a nice glass jar. Why? Because they can always use more browning. Using the same oil from the mortadella, keep those in the pan for at least 2 minutes per side, checking to see if they have been seared to your liking, then remove as well.

Lastly, all using the same oil, put a 1/4 inch sliced ring of onion and cook for about 3 minutes per side. Cooking everything in the same oil will compound all the different flavors into the different ingredients.

3.) Now, it’s time to prep the spreads and bread. For this one, I chose my go-to favorite sourdough. Rolls can be a great option as well. For one side of that bread, we’re going to make a simple aioli. Mince up about 4 cloves of garlic as small as you can. Add this to about a quarter cup of mayo and then add a dash or two of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Mix it all up and apply to the “top” half of the sandwich.

Crushed pepper spreads come in many forms from many brands. A popular one would be from ‘Tutto Calabria,’ and even Trader Joe’s makes a very decent one as well. Whichever you choose, this will be the other side of the bread. Slather on as much as you can handle. I like to use this as the “bottom” half of the sandwich.

4.) Mortadella Panino assemble! Now, we must construct this sandwich, and I like to do it in the following way: First, the mortadella, then the cheese. I used a young Fontina for its rich flavor and softness, so that it melts well. Slice it as thin as you can, and thus our second level has been finished. Then, put the bell pepper, and finally, the rings of onion. There are no greens in this one, so don’t even think about it. Sprinkle a little salt/pepper, and a glug or two of olive oil to finish. Place the aioli-laden bread on top and we’re ready to smash it to smithereens.

5.) Your press should be very hot at this point, so now it’s time to use it. But, if you’re like most people, you may not have a panini press. What you can do instead, is preheat a medium sized stainless steel pan on medium heat (maybe even the same one you’ve been using!), and have something flat and heavy at the ready. If you have a burger press you would normally use on a grill, or even a freakin’ brick, that will work too! Either way, use that combo, but if you do have an electric panini press, place your sandwich on the press and close firmly.

How long do I keep the sandwich in there? My press has a “done” light that comes on after a period of time. Guess what? That don’t mean sh*t! Other presses may have better ways to measure “doneness,” but in my opinion, watch it for a good measure of time and determine when you feel it is done. Has the bread toasted and the cheese melted to your liking? Then it’s done. If not, keep it in there!

Once it’s done, it’s done. Serve it whole or slice it in half. If you’re feeling fancy, pair it up with a cappuccino. Pretty soon, you’ll be talking more with your hands, and perusing Vespa’s website for the scooter you’ve been too embarrassed to admit would solve your problem of never finding a parking spot in the city.