The FrangloSaxon Cooks

Louisiana Cuisines

  • Home
  • Recipe List
  • Tripping & Talking
  • Reviews & Recommendations
  • Privacy Policy

Mussolini Sandwich

May 26, 2017 by Carine Clary 7 Comments

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERABack in pre World War II days it was actually possible to find restaurants in New Orleans which served something called Mussolini sandwiches.

Say what??

It is true and I have the ad to prove it.

messinaI thought it would be fun to recreate but needless to say there is no record anywhere that I can find outlining the ingredients for the “Mussolini.” No one is owning this orphan. I just remember my father telling me that my grandfather used to get them on business trips to New Orleans and that we (as in our family) had a special connection to the Mussolinis.

Say what again???

It seems that Il Duce’s penultimate resting place was the awning of a Milan Esso station from which he and his mistress Clara dangled following their execution by partisans. Since my father was employed by Exxon (which is Esso in Europe) we therefore had our very own connection to the infamous founder of fascism. I’m going to pass on providing an illustration of the post execution display but you can check Google images and it’ll pop right up.

But on to the sandwich.

I figured that since there was no record, or that the record was “missing,” the best way to memorialize the man in the silver helmet was to make something out of ingredients traditional to his home state of Emilia-Romagna.  Researching the subject I found to my great surprise that Mrs. Mussolini, like all survivors, had assessed her situation (limited pension benefits for widows of executed tyrants) and had just gotten on with life and making a living. In her case this involved, can you believe it, opening a restaurant. I don’t have the menu but I think it’s safe to say that there were probably no special culinary tributes to her late cheatin’ spouse.

However, I decided that since prosciutto, parmesan, and balsamic vinegar featured prominently in the local cuisine they could star in my sandwich. So what started out as click bait and a joke ended up being something delicious that I was surprisingly craving not a week after I “invented” it.

The recipe below is for one sandwich but can be multiplied endlessly, loaves and fishes style, for all your hungry and politically incorrect friends. Perfect for eating when yelling ‘Forza Italia!’ while you’re watching the world cup.

The first order of business is to get a nice piece of veal scallopini like this:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERASalt and pepper it and dredge it in some flour, dip it in an egg wash, then dredge in seasoned bread crumbs or Panko. Gently press the piece of proscuitto onto the top and lay in the hot oil so that the side with the proscuitto is facing upwards like this:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAMost of the cooking will be done on the first side. When it’s brown carefully flip it. You should only need to cook the side with the proscuitto a minute or so. The proscuitto will be crispy by then and you should remove and drain. (If the proscuitto comes off during the flipping procedure – no problem. Just let it sizzle for a sec then lift it out. You can lay it out on the sandwich during assembly). While this was cooling, I toasted the bread, added a few drops of balsamic vinegar to the mayo, sliced the tomatoes and assembled.

Although the recipe specifies only “french bread” the best choice is french bread made by Germans in New Orleans, e.g., Leidenheimer’s. Very thin crust – very light interior. Almost like the kind of bread they use for Cuban pressed sandwiches. You can also use ciabatta bread. Really any kind works, it’s just that thinner crispier crusts show off best the crispy fried veal and prosciutto inside.

I added an orange arugula salad which is a great complement to the heavier fried veal.

Mussolini Sandwich
 
Print
Author: Carine Clary
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • One slice of veal scallopini
  • Flour
  • Vegetable oil
  • One beaten egg
  • Seasoned bread crumbs or Panko
  • One slice of proscuitto
  • Tomato slices
  • Lettuce (or arugula)
  • Mayonnaise
  • Balsamic Vinegar
  • Provolone slices
  • French Bread
Instructions
  1. Salt and pepper veal, dredge in flour, shake off excess, dip in egg wash, then dredge in breading. Lay the strip of proscuitto on top and press it in gently. Set aside.
  2. Heat vegetable oil over a medium flame. When it is hot put the veal in and cook until brown on both sides. Set aside.
  3. Slice the french bread in half lengthwise, lay the provolone slices over one side and run under the broiler or in the toaster oven until lightly toasted.
  4. Put the veal and proscuitto on top of the provolone.
  5. Take a tablespoon of mayonnaise and add a few drops of balsamic vinegar, then spread this on the other side of the bread.
  6. Dress the sandwich with the tomatoes and greens and serve.
3.2.1311

 

Filed Under: Italian, Meat, Sandwiches Tagged With: sandwich, veal sandwich

Turkey Poulette

Turkey Poulette

Personal Picks

  • Turkey Poulette
  • Mussolini Sandwich
  • Corn off the Cob Cakes
  • Chicken Mull
  • Salted Steens Ice Cream

Follow Us

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

About Me

Hello, I'm Carine Clary and I'm the FrangloSaxon.

And is that a word? In a word - Yes! It reflects my French connections in the south part of the state and the Anglo Saxon ones on the Arkansas state line. I grew up eating & loving all the foods of Louisiana and the idea is to collect lots of them right here on this website.

What you'll find here is food that reflects everybody's cooking. Creole we know. Cajun we know. But how about Croatian or Vietnamese....or Italian or German....or the underestimated plain Southern food they do so well in the upstate parishes?

They're all part of who we are so pull up your chair and join me for some good eats!

Search the FrangloSaxon

Search by Holiday

  • Bastille Day
  • Christmas
  • Fourth of July
  • Mardi Gras
  • New Year's
  • Revillon
  • St. Joseph's Day
  • Tet
  • Thanksgiving

Search by Tradition

  • Cajun
  • Creole
  • Croatian
  • German
  • Greek
  • Italian
  • Southern
  • Vietnamese
  • African
  • French
  • Turkish
  • Mexican
  • Irish
  • Links I Like

    • The Homesick Texan
    • Acadiana Table
    • Southern Souffle
    • Savory Spices
    • Well Being Secrets
    • Deep South Dish

Recent Posts

  • Shrimp Boulettes
  • Spanakopita
  • Chinese Beef & Broccoli
  • Fried Chicken & Waffles
  • Cajun Potato Andouille Soup

Popular Posts

Chicken Mull

Chicken Mull is the old name for Stewed Chicken in milk. It’s also sometimes called Jallop.  This is a cold weather, church supper dish that has spread from its Georgia Carolina origins and now pops up in a few other spots. If you want your kids to come home on their college breaks, make sure… 

Read More »

Back in pre World War II days it was actually possible to find restaurants in New Orleans which served something called Mussolini sandwiches. Say what?? It is true and I have the ad to prove it. I thought it would be fun to recreate but needless to say there is no record anywhere that I… 

Read More »

A Vietnamese style cucumber salad that looks elegant and tastes really good. For some reason I’ve found that the dressing tastes better after it’s had a chance to set a spell, so if you have the time you should make it a day ahead or at least a couple of hours ahead but don’t add… 

Read More »

Caramelized Lemongrass Shrimp

I don’t want to sound like a cranky old diner waitress here – but to fully appreciate this recipe there should be no substitutions. Caramelized Lemongrass Shrimp is a relatively simple stir fry but the full rich flavor comes from the interplay of the flavorings and the fats. Specifically, the fat in the shrimp heads and the… 

Read More »

Sicilian Citrus Artichokes

Summertime! Time to give voice to your inner Sicilian. And what is he asking for? Perhaps a fresh steamed artichoke anointed with a golden sauce made of olive oil, orange, tangerine and lemon. So imagine you’re dining al fresco in a seaside trattoria in Palermo watching the fishermen rolling up their nets in the setting sun…. 

Read More »

I’m posting about a week after the usual King Cake cutoff date, but there is a good reason. And it’s not because the little King Cake fairy below took so long to get beautiful for her close up! No plastic baby here. She’s a french fève so it’s worth the wait since it looks like… 

Read More »

  • Home
  • Recipe List
  • Tripping & Talking
  • Reviews & Recommendations
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2021 · Foodie Child Theme by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress