Grilled Mortadella, Parmesan Sauce, Pangrattato

Dinner | Italian

Prep time: 10 min Cook time: 20 min Servings: 2

This one was inspired by Anthony Bourdain’s favourite sandwich, the mortadella roll. I first made it at a pop up with the team from Bessie’s in Sydney, and it went down an absolute treat. Thick slices of mortadella are folded onto skewers and grilled until caramelised, then served on a rich parmesan and pecorino cheese sauce with a generous shower of garlicky, herby pangrattato on top.

It comes together in under 30 minutes and looks seriously impressive without asking much of you. Great as a starter, a share plate, or just something a bit different to throw on the grill.

Ingredient Notes

Mortadella: Look for thinly sliced mortadella, around 2-3mm thick. You don’t want it paper thin or it will fall apart when folded, but too thick and the folds won’t hold together on the skewer. Freshly sliced from the deli is ideal, though pre-packaged sandwich slices also work well.

Cream: Use full fat thickened cream. Single cream doesn’t have enough fat to properly emulsify with the cheese and can make the sauce too loose.

Parmesan: Grate it finely yourself for a smoother sauce. Pre-grated parmesan from the packet often has anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting cleanly.

Pecorino: Pecorino is a sharp, salty Italian cheese made from sheep’s milk. It adds a distinct bite alongside the parmesan. Pecorino romano is the one to look for.

Panko breadcrumbs: Panko is a Japanese-style breadcrumb with a coarser, flakier texture than regular breadcrumbs. They toast up lighter and crunchier, which is exactly what you want for the pangrattato.

Flat leaf parsley: Use flat leaf parsley, not curly. It has more flavour and a better texture when finely sliced.

Equipment you'll need

Skewers (metal, or bamboo soaked in water for 30 minutes)
Char grill pan or oven grill
Small saucepan
Frying pan
Whisk

Grilled Mortadella, Parmesan Sauce, Pangrattato

Ingredients

240g mortadella, sliced thin
60ml cream
20ml milk
20g finely grated parmesan
20g finely grated pecorino
1 tbsp olive oil
50g panko bread crumbs
1 clove garlic
zest of 1 lemon
½ bunch flat leaf parsley leaves
sea salt

Directions

Skewer the mortadella
Take a slice of the mortadella and fold it lengthways four times and then fold in an S shape, pushing it together so it looks like a square. Then secure it onto a skewer and repeat with the remaining pieces.
Make sure the pieces line up together and are tidy (you want about 60g per skewer).
Make the cheese sauce
Place the cream and milk in a small saucepan over a medium-low heat. Bring just to a simmer, ensuring it does not come to a boil.
Add the parmesan and pecorino in small batches and whisk until it becomes a homogenised sauce. Don’t let it boil as it will split.
Transfer the sauce to a small bowl and cover the surface with cling film (ensuring that the clingfilm touches the sauce so there’s minimal air in there. Place in the fridge until cooled and set.
Make the pangrattato
Heat half the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Finely grate the garlic clove then add to the pan with the breadcrumbs. Cook, stirring constantly, until the breadcrumbs are nicely toasted, about 4-5 minutes. Season with sea salt towards the end.
Finely chiffonade the parsley, then add to the pan with the lemon zest and remove from the heat. Mix through well, then transfer to a bowl.
Grill and assemble
Heat a char grill pan or oven grill to high. Drizzle the skewers with the remaining oil.
Cook the skewers for 4-5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides.
Uncover the cheese sauce and mix to loosen a little. Spread some of the sauce onto a serving plate. Top with the skewers and sprinkle the tops with the pangrattato.

Recipe notes

Chef Tips

Keep the sauce off the boil

The cheese emulsifies into the warm cream using heat and the motion of the whisk. If it comes to a boil it will break, and you’ll end up with a greasy, split sauce. Keep the heat at medium-low and watch it closely. If it does split, pull it off the heat and whisk in a small splash of cold milk.

Get the mortadella thickness right

Each slice needs to be thin enough to fold easily but with enough body to hold its shape on the skewer. Ask at the deli for 2-3mm slices. Paper thin won’t work, and thick-cut will be too stiff to fold properly and will take longer to cook through.

Don’t rush the pangrattato

Keep the heat at medium and stir the breadcrumbs constantly. They go from golden to burnt very quickly, so don’t walk away from the pan. You want them an even deep golden colour before adding the parsley and lemon zest off the heat.

Make the sauce and pangrattato ahead

Both components can be prepped hours in advance. Press cling film directly onto the surface of the cheese sauce to stop a skin forming, then refrigerate. Keep the pangrattato in an airtight container at room temperature. All you need to do is grill the skewers fresh when you’re ready to serve.

FAQs

Can I make this ahead of time? Yes. The cheese sauce and pangrattato can both be made hours in advance. Store the sauce in the fridge with cling film pressed onto the surface to prevent a skin forming, and keep the pangrattato in an airtight container. Prep the skewers and refrigerate them too. When you’re ready to serve, just grill the skewers and plate everything up.

Can I make it gluten free? Yes. Swap the panko breadcrumbs for gluten free breadcrumbs, or replace the pangrattato with finely chopped toasted nuts such as pistachios or almonds. Everything else in the dish is naturally gluten free.

What is pangrattato? Pangrattato is an Italian topping made from toasted breadcrumbs cooked with garlic, herbs, and lemon. The name roughly translates to “grated bread.” It’s traditionally used as a cheap alternative to cheese on pasta, but here it adds crunch and freshness as a contrast to the rich cheese sauce underneath.

Can I use a different cheese? Parmesan and pecorino work so well together because parmesan brings richness and depth while pecorino adds a sharper, saltier edge. If you can’t find pecorino, use all parmesan and the sauce will be slightly milder. Avoid pre-grated cheese from a packet as it often won’t melt smoothly into the sauce.