Cherry season is upon us and I simply cannot resist a bag of $3 BC cherries. So with such an abundance, you know I’m going to add them to a sandwich.
For me, pork <> cherries is a classic combo, so you can go ham if you like but for some reason I just can’t come to love ham on a sandwich (maybe too many with cheez whiz growing up lol). And from there I just kinda ran with it, as I do with most sandwiches. The ricotta is kinda caesary to add yet another layer of flavor, the spice is optional but a nice touch with the sweetness of the cherries, but the chips are a MUST.
mortadella cherry bomb sandwich
TOTAL TIME: 15 minutes
SERVES: 2
tools i use.
tips from rach.
make it GF: ✅ use GF bread of course, and check your chips and mortadella are safe too
make it DF: ✅ with a swap* sub in your favorite DF ricotta and parmesan alternatives (the flavor will shift slightly since these carry a lot of the caesar flavor, but it still works). You can also skip completely if need be but I’d skip the calabrian chili paste.
simplify: swap the caesar ricotta for a store-bought herby cheese like a boursin. Or just mix a good quality store bought ceasar dresing in with your ricotta.
I hate anchovies: SAME - but just like in a ceasar salad you cannot taste it - it melts into the ricotta and adds our favorite … umami depth! You can swap in Worcestershire or fish sauce, or leave it out, though the flavor will be a touch flatter.
why chips inside the sandwich? Crunch factor and extra tang. No .. worries.. if you want to serve them on the .. side ..
ingredients.
For the caesar ricotta:
1 small garlic clove
1 anchovy
zest of ½ lemon
1 tsp lemon juice
½ tsp dijon
2 tbsp parmesan
½ cup ricotta
small pinch salt & pepper
For the rest:
1 large piece focaccia
3 tbsp cherry jam
small handful cherries
1 tsp calabrian chili paste
¼ cup pepperoncinis
2 tbsp pistachios
1 cup arugula
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp olive oil
⅛ tsp salt
8 slices mortadella
fresh basil
salt and vinegar chips
steps.
Make your caesar ricotta:
To a small bowl, add 1 clove minced garlic, zest of ½ a lemon, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 anchovy and a pinch of salt.
Use a fork to mix and mash your anchovy into a paste.
Grate in 2 tbsp parmesan and add ½ tsp dijon and mash into a paste again.
Add in ½ cup ricotta and some fresh pepper, mix and set aside.
Prep the rest:
In a small bowl, mix together 3 tbsp cherry jam and 1 tsp calabrian chili paste.
Slice the focaccia in half horizontally and toast both sides.
Finely chop pepperoncinis, pistachios and set both aside.
Pit and slice cherries into flat pieces, set aside.
Assemble:
Once bread is toasted, to the top piece, spoon on your caesar ricotta mix and press to stick.
To the ricotta, sprinkle chopped pepperoncinis and pistachios and press in to stick.
To the bottom, add cherry jam mix and top with mortadella.
Add arugula, drizzle with 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp olive oil, salt and pepper, and top with fresh basil, chips and close her up.
Slice in half and eat right away.
substitutions.
For the caesar ricotta:
anchovy → 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce or ½ tsp fish sauce (or omit, though you'll lose some depth)
dijon → whole grain mustard
parmesan → pecorino
ricotta → whipped full fat cottage cheese, or mascarpone for something richer
For the rest:
focaccia → ciabatta or a sturdy sub roll
calabrian chili paste → small pinch of red pepper flakes
pepperoncinis → banana peppers
pistachios → toasted almonds or walnuts
lemon → 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
olive oil → any finishing oil
mortadella → salami or prosciutto
Let me know what your favorite CRAZY sandwich combo is.
