Salumeria Panino

Name: Salumeria Panino
Yield: makes 4 sandwiches
Ingredients: Four 4-to-5-inch squares rosemary focaccia (if you want to make your own, see the recipe in La Cucina di Lidia); 4 ripe plum tomatoes, sliced 1/2 inch thick; 1 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into 16 slices; 12 fresh basil leaves, shredded; 2 tablespoons good-quality balsamic vinegar; 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 8 to 10 ounces prosciutto, sliced; (about 12 slices in all)

December 14, 2011

Salumeria Italiana is the place to go in the North End of Boston to buy Italian specialty foods. The store is small but meticulously furnished with some of the best of Italian imported and domestic products. For nearly five decades, the Martignetti family has upheld the time-honored tradition. It was early on a rainy morning when Tanya and I, camera and notepad in hand, paid a visit to the Salumeria. The workers were beginning to set up the products and sandwich of the day, getting ready for lunch. The resident salumiere, a timid elderly gentleman, repeatedly skirted the lens of our camera, but we did get some really good close-ups of the Salumeria panino of the day. No one was willing to share the recipe, either, so here is my rendition of what we saw and tasted; it is simple and simply delicious. Don’t miss out on visiting Paul Revere’s house, almost around the corner!

Recipe notes

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