Pressed Italian Sandwiches

Ingredients

• 6 small Ciabatta rolls (or you can use large buns or bread and slice up after)
• 2-3 Tbsp. butter
• 3 red peppers
• 1 large bunch of arugula, rinsed and patted dry
• 1 (200g) carton of Tre Stelle™ Bocconcini medallions (or if unavailable, you can slice a Bocconcini ball)
• Assorted Italian cold meats, about 250 – 300g. (I used Soppressata Salami, Capocollo and Napoli Salami)
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. To roast the red peppers: Set your oven to the Broil setting. Slice the sides off the red peppers and place skin side up on a baking sheet (*I like to trim the ends so they lie as flat as possible, as they will brown better than pieces that are sloped). Place under the broiler until very well charred (black) on top, about 10 minutes (watch closely after 5 minutes. You’ll want them to be mostly blackened on top.) Remove from the oven and immediately place the peppers in a plastic ziploc bag. Pop in the refrigerator for 30-40 minutes. Remove peppers from bag and peel off the blackened skin with a knife. Discard the skin and place the peppers into a small bowl. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. To prepare the sandwiches: Cut your ciabatta in half and butter each piece (or you could brush with a bit of olive oil, if you prefer, but butter will help prevent moisture from getting into the bread. Especially butter well under the red peppers if your sandwiches will be sitting for more than a day.). Place a layer of red pepper on bottom slice of bread. Top with a generous layer of cold meats (5 or 6 layers). Take your Bocconcini slices and place on a piece of paper towel. Top with another piece of paper towel and pat to dry a bit. Top the cold meat with a layer of the Bocconcini slices. Drizzle some balsamic vinegar over the Bocconcini slices and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with a generous layer of arugula. Top with top slice of ciabatta.
3. Wrap each sandwich tightly with plastic wrap and place on a platter or baking sheet. When all the sandwiches are prepared, place the platter in the refrigerator. Place a heavy skillet on top of sandwiches to apply weight (if you don’t have a heavy skillet, top with another baking sheet and place some large cans on top for the weight).
4. Refrigerate at least 6 hours or ideally, overnight.
5. When ready to serve, remove from plastic wrap. If desired, you can trim the sides and ends of the sandwiches to make neat sides and to enjoy the wonderful colours of these sandwiches.

Number of servings (yield): 6