Waiting for the announcement: one of the most nerve-racking and exciting moments of my life!
TUNA, CAPER, AND OLIVE TRAMEZZINO
SHRIMP IN PINK SAUCE TRAMEZZINO
BRESAOLA, ARUGULA, AND GRANA PADANO TRAMEZZINO
TURKEY, GORGONZOLA, AND WALNUT TRAMEZZINO
PROSCIUTTO AND MUSHROOM TRAMEZZINO
The first time I took my wife, Cate, to Venice, I made a point to try to stop in every single wine bar we passed along the way. The wine bars of Venice are famous for cicchetti, crostini, and tramezzini. Cate was familiar with cicchetti, the Italian version of tapas, and crostini, but she had never seen or heard of tramezzini before. I still remember the day we walked into that first wine bar, its window counter three shelves high with tramezzini showcasing at least twenty different fillings. Cate’s face lit up like a kid on her first trip to Disney World.
Tramezzini are the Italian version of English high tea sandwiches. The tramezzino was invented in 1925 in a bar called Caffè Mulassano in Turin and given its name from the famous poet, writer, and politician Gabriele D’Annunzio. Tramezzino means “in between,” and stands for the food between the bread, but to me it also represents something served in between meals, a little snack. It’s one of my favorite bar foods.
For our tramezzini, we use soft white bread without the crust. I find it very hard to find crustless white bread in the States, so I just use regular white sandwich bread and remove the crust. And there is always mayonnaise involved for flavor and to keep the bread moist (I will teach you how to make a healthy mayo to upgrade your tramezzini). My tramezzini, using simple ingredients such as eggs, turkey, cheese, and cured meats (and my favorite, based on shrimp, for something really special) are great snack food for any get-together—easy to put together yet reliably delicious and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
At some point it’s inevitable that you will be serving guests who don’t eat any type of meat. Besides feeling sorry for them, you should make sure they don’t feel left out. I’ve given you a few vegetarian crostini options, and here is a tramezzino that everyone will like. Versions of it can be found in bars throughout Italy.
In Italy, we call Emmental “the cheese with the holes”; it’s known for its distinctive flavor and smell and takes its name from the city in Switzerland where it originated. It is a medium-hard cheese that is usually served in thin slices. If unavailable, you could use Leerdammer or even Swiss cheese.
Mayonnaise, homemade (this page) or good-quality store-bought
8 slices soft white bread (about 3 1/2 inches/9 cm square), crusts removed
4 large iceberg lettuce leaves
4 hard-boiled eggs (see this page)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
⅔ cup (60 g) very thinly sliced (lengthwise) cornichons
Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise over one side of each bread slice. Add a lettuce leaf (you may have to trim them) on 4 slices of the bread. Pass the eggs through an egg slicer or thinly slice them with a knife and arrange the slices over the lettuce. Season with salt and pepper. Top each with the cornichons and 2 slices of the cheese. Cover with the remaining bread slices, mayonnaise-side down, cut each tramezzino in half, and serve.
Egg Salad Tramezzino: Use the same ingredients, but instead of slicing the egg and pickles, finely chop them and mix them with a tablespoon or two of mayonnaise to make an egg salad filling.
Hard-Boiled and Soft-Boiled Perfection
I love those blogs and websites that tell you how to cook a perfect hard-boiled egg, like you need to be a genius to make one.
If you’re going for hard-boiled, place the eggs in a medium saucepan, cover with cold water, and gently bring it to a boil. I like to cook mine for 10 minutes, then take them out of the water, run them under cold water, and crack the shells. Other people will tell you to cook the eggs until the water comes to a boil, turn off the heat, let them sit in the water for a bit, and then shock them in cold water before peeling them. But really, who cares how you cook them? It’s a hard-boiled egg! The only important thing is to cook the eggs all the way through following whatever method you like—trust me, it’ll be fine.
What takes a little more genius is cooking a perfect soft-boiled egg! In my opinion, there is only one way to cook a perfect soft-boiled egg: Boil and crack a few until you get the right one! It’s impossible to give an exact recipe for making a soft-boiled egg because no two eggs are going to be identical, especially if you use free-range farm eggs (and I hope you do!), which vary widely in size, shape, and personality. So bring your pot of water to a boil, gently place the egg in the water, and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the egg from the water with a slotted spoon, run it under cold water, then break the tip with the back of a spoon and dip a small spoon in it. If the yolk is as runny as you like, great. Good job! Otherwise, eat it anyway and try it again with another egg.
Mayonnaise is very easy to make, and it’s going to be much easier if your kitchen is outfitted with a food processor or immersion blender with a whisk attachment (my favorite kitchen tool). Otherwise, make sure your arm is well rested, take a hand whisk, and use some good ol’ elbow grease. Mayo is nothing more than an emulsion of egg yolk with oil and an acidic element, so make your ingredients matter: Use the freshest farm eggs you can find, and favor organic. Since this mayonnaise won’t have any preservatives, it won’t last as long as store-bought, so make small batches and make them often, or scale this recipe up if you’re making tramezzini for a party.
2 teaspoons apple-cider vinegar
1 cup (240 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
Put the egg yolk in a food processor, or a large bowl if you are whisking with an immersion blender or going low-tech and whisking by hand. Add the lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, and salt. With the food processor running, or while you are whisking, process until the mixture is well blended and bright yellow.
Now we’re going to seriously slow things down. Through the food processor’s feed tube or while whisking constantly, add ½ cup (120 ml) of the oil a few drops at a time; this will take about 4 minutes and a whole lot of patience! Then we get to speed up just a bit—add the remaining ½ cup (120 ml) oil in a very slow, thin stream, processing or whisking all the while, until it is transformed into mayonnaise. Total whisking time will be about 8 minutes if whisking by hand; in the food processor it will be done when all the oil is incorporated. Cover and place in the refrigerator, where it will keep for up to 1 week.
TUNA, CAPER, AND OLIVE TRAMEZZINO
Tonno, Capperi, e Olive Tramezzino
One day I was in a deli in New York and saw a tuna sandwich on the menu. I was confused, thinking seared tuna steak between two slices of bread. Once I understood the concept, I tried it, and it was love at first bite. This is my Italian take on the tuna sandwich that I have become so addicted to since coming to the States. Make sure you use tuna packed in extra-virgin olive oil; the water-packed kind just doesn’t make any sense.
Speaking of tuna sandwiches: Have you ever tried the tuna melt with cheddar cheese on a croissant at Dunkin’ Donuts? You would not believe how good it is.
1 (5-ounce/140-g) can tuna in extra-virgin olive oil, drained
1 teaspoon drained and rinsed capers
2 tablespoons thinly sliced (lengthwise) pitted black olives
6 cherry tomatoes, cut into eighths
3 tablespoons very finely chopped red onion
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup (60 ml) mayonnaise, homemade (this page) or good-quality store-bought, plus more for spreading
8 slices soft white bread (about 3 1/2 inches/9 cm square), crusts removed
Combine the tuna, capers, olives, tomatoes, onions, parsley, and mayonnaise in a medium bowl and mix well.
Spread a light layer of mayonnaise over one side of each slice of bread. Divide the tuna mixture among 4 slices of the bread and top with the remaining bread slices. Cut each tramezzino in half and serve.
Tuna with Pickles Tramezzino: Substitute 1 teaspoon finely chopped pickles for the capers.
SHRIMP IN PINK SAUCE TRAMEZZINO
Gamberetti in Salsa Rosa Tramezzino
Shrimp might not be what pops into your head when you’re thinking lunch sandwich. Well, get ready to be surprised—this recipe will open your mind to new sandwich possibilities! Really, just about anything can be put between two slices of bread, and this tramezzino, basically a revisit of the classic shrimp cocktail, is the perfect example. In fact, it is my absolute favorite tramezzino; every time I see it on a bar menu in Italy, I just have to have one or two or three. My recipe, with homemade mayo and fresh shrimp flambéed in brandy, takes this standard bar food up a few notches (with rave reviews from friends at a recent MasterChef viewing party), and a little Sriracha adds some kick.
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces (225 g) medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup (60 ml) mayonnaise, homemade (this page) or good-quality store-bought, plus more for spreading
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
8 slices soft white bread (about 3 1/2 inches/9 cm square), crusts removed
In a medium sauté pan with a lid, heat the oil over medium-high heat until screaming hot. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and add them to the pan in one layer. Sear on one side for about 2 minutes, until a nice crust has formed (turn one to check). Turn the shrimp and sear for 2 minutes more, until they are just barely cooked through.
Now we’ll flame our shrimp for a little excitement and lots of flavor. Turn off the heat and add the brandy. Carefully ignite it with a long kitchen match or a burning wooden skewer. (This is called flambé, and it gives an incredible flavor.) The alcohol should burn off in a few seconds, and the flames will extinguish. If they don’t, quickly cover the pan with its lid. When the flames have subsided, turn the heat back to medium-high, add ¼ cup (60 ml) water, and cook for 2 minutes, scraping the pan to remove any browned bits from the bottom. Remove from the heat, drain the shrimp, and let cool.
Cut the shrimp into ¼-inch (6-mm) square bites and place them in a medium bowl. Stir in the mayonnaise, ketchup, Sriracha, and chives.
Divide the shrimp mixture evenly among 4 of the bread slices. Top each with 2 lettuce leaves (you may have to trim them to fit the bread). Spread one side of each remaining slice of bread with a little mayonnaise and use them to top the tramezzini, mayonnaise-side down. Cut each tramezzino in half and serve.
BRESAOLA, ARUGULA, AND GRANA PADANO TRAMEZZINO
Bresaola, Rucola, e Grana Padano Tramezzino
If you don’t eat pork, you miss out on the excitement of enjoying the Italian classics—prosciutto, mortadella, and salame—but don’t worry. Let me introduce you to bresaola: dry-cured beef. It’s lean, full of protein, and very healthful, made from the leg of the animal with the fat removed, seasoned with salt and a dry rub, and dry aged for at least thirty days. Bresaola is typically from an area of Italy called Valtellina, which is three hours north of Milano at the border with Switzerland. Remember that Milka chocolate commercial with all the cows in the middle of those beautiful mountains? That is exactly what Valtellina looks like, and it’s famous for its many fancy ski resorts and its food and wine. I know Valtellina very well, as I spent a summer there working as a waiter in a hotel for a well-known chef (while I was dating his daughter—that’s probably why he never liked me so much). I would eat bresaola on bread for breakfast every day while I was there. Bresaola is always served cold, cut into very thin slices and topped with arugula and shaved cheese, and, long story short, that’s where the idea for this tramezzino comes from.
Mayonnaise, homemade (this page) or good-quality store-bought
8 slices soft white bread (about 3 1/2 inches/9 cm square), crusts removed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces (115 g) bresaola slices
½ cup (50 g) shaved Grana Padano
Spread a light layer of mayonnaise over one side of each bread slice.
Place the arugula in a medium bowl. Add the oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper, and toss to coat.
Divide the slices of bresaola evenly among 4 of the bread slices and arrange the arugula on top. Top with the cheese, then cover with the remaining bread slices, mayonnaise-side down. Cut each tramezzino in half and serve.
TURKEY, GORGONZOLA, AND WALNUT TRAMEZZINO
Tacchino Gorgonzola, e Noci Tramezzino
The first time I had a turkey tramezzino was when I took a trip home to Italy with my wife, Cate, who doesn’t eat pork but loves turkey. When I got back to the States, I looked at all the different types of turkey meat on display at the deli counter and had some fun experimenting with my turkey tramezzini. Feel free to spice up the recipe however you like, using maple-glazed turkey, cracked black pepper turkey, smoked turkey, Cajun-spiced turkey, or even slices of chicken breast, if you’d like. I pair the turkey with Gorgonzola for added flavor, but if you aren’t a fan of this pungent and stinky cheese, goat cheese or any creamy cheese you like could be substituted.
8 slices soft white bread (about 3 1/2 inches/9 cm square), crusts removed
½ cup (3 ounces/85 g) Gorgonzola, at room temperature
¼ cup (25 g) walnuts, crushed with the bottom of a glass
4 ounces (115 g) sliced turkey breast
Spread one side of each slice of bread with 1 tablespoon of the cheese. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the nuts over 4 of the bread slices. Top the nuts with some of the turkey and cover with the remaining bread slices, cheese-side down. Cut each tramezzino in half and serve.
Yasmin, one of the producers of the show, picked this shirt for me to wear. “I am not wearing polka dots,” I told her as she handed me the shirt. I guess you can tell who won that battle.
PROSCIUTTO AND MUSHROOM TRAMEZZINO
Prosciutto e Funghi Tramezzino
If you ask ten Italians what their favorite pizza was when they were a kid, at least six of them would answer “prosciutto e funghi.” When I was little, it was the only pizza I’d eat, so using these two ingredients—prosciutto and mushrooms—in a tramezzino is really just an extension of the pizza concept. Most of the bars in Italy use mushrooms out of a jar, because they figure their flavor will be disguised by the mayo, anyway, but for my tramezzino, we’ll cook up fresh mushrooms and mix them with homemade mayonnaise to turn this standard Italian bar food into something to really be proud of.
Prosciutto cotto is like an Italian ham, but not really, because American ham doesn’t taste like anything close to prosciutto cotto! While, to me, most American ham is more like bologna, Italian ham has lots of aromatics used to age it and has way more fat, which makes it much more flavorful.
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound (455 g) cremini or baby portobello mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and cut into small cubes (see this page)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons mayonnaise, homemade (this page) or good-quality store-bought
8 slices soft white bread (about 3 1/2 inches/9 cm square), crusts removed
16 slices (about 4 ounces/115 g) prosciutto cotto
In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over low heat. Add the garlic, rosemary, and thyme. (We use low heat so the oil can take on the flavors of the herbs fully.) When the garlic has browned a bit, raise the heat to high.
When the pan is screaming hot, add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper right away so they begin to release their liquid, and cook, without moving them, for 3 minutes, so they form a nice crust. Stir and continue to cook for 5 minutes more, or until the mushrooms are nicely softened and browned all over. Remove from the heat and fish out the garlic, rosemary, and thyme. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl and let cool. Stir in the mayonnaise.
Spread a light layer of mayonnaise over one side of each bread slice. Divide the mushroom filling among the bread slices, then top each with 4 slices of the prosciutto. Cover with the remaining bread slices, mayonnaise-side down. Cut each tramezzino in half and serve.
