There's been a lot of talk highlighting the pizza at chef Carlo Cracco’s namesake restaurant Cracco… so much talk that we forget to mention the plethora of other delicious and original options at the bistrot! Like the pastries and tramezzino sandwiches -- all designed by Pastry Chef of the Year Marco Pedron, for example -- who was gracious enough to share his special tramezzino sandwich recipe with us!
Who is Marco Pedron?
Marco Pedron is a Milanese native, born in Milan to two parents who still love each other as much as the first day they met; to this day, he calls them Bonnie and Clyde. Over the years, music has always been number one in Marco’s world: metal, punk and rock especially. Only after Pedron worked for a time at the restaurant Less did he realize that the smell of boiled meat and broth was just not for him, a factor that greatly influenced his decision to move on to bakeries and pastry shops where the sweet aromas of chocolate, vanilla and black cherry brought joy to the chef’s senses. And Pedron is the kind of person that takes what he wants from life. From that decisive moment, he felt there was no other option; he began his career as a pastry chef first at the Principe di Savoia with Paola Budel followed experience in a variety of bakeries. According to Pedron, we have the years he spent in Padua with chef Luigi Biasetto to thank for his expertise -- yes, that Lugi Biasetto, the one that’s an international pastry chef extraordinaire. Biasetto taught Pedron the importance of technique and precision -- values that Pedron applies even now to his tramezzino sandwiches recipe. This formative training under a pastry chef like Biasetto was of the utmost importance to Marco and he refers to it fondly as an unforgettable lesson in life.
300 + tramezzino sandwiches in one hour
When Marco first arrived in Padua to train under Luigi Biasetto, he felt like he held the world by a string. He lived with a sense of security that would soon crumble to make way for the “new Marco,” the chef we know today. And this grueling period of hard work, growth, education and learning began with sandwiches, Marco tells us. In fact, he spent his first year at Biasetto making sandwiches of all kinds: "I don't know how many sandwiches I made. I made even more than 300 in an hour, so today I'm a monster [when I] make them.” Only through practice and continuous repetition has Marco learned technique -- the most fundamental factor for any recipe according to the chef. After more than a year at Biasetto, he became the mignon and then Biasetto's assistant: his right hand man, first in Padua and then in Brussels. But at the time, he didn't know that shortly after his Biasetto experience, he would meet Carlo Cracco who would propose a collaboration -- first to work on various World Expo projects and then to work together for the opening of the Cracco bistrot in the Galleria di Vittorio Emanuele II where Pedron is head pastry chef. Precisely for this reason, Marco warns us not to confuse pastries with gastronomy because pastries -- sweet or savoury -- are always more about detail and chemistry than cooking is. In fact, even his sandwiches are sartorial perfection: his latest design is perfect for this time of year, too. The Plaid tramezzino Sandwich is an Italian-style sandwich made with ‘zola cream, Jerusalem artichokes, a special Cynar jam, smoked ham, almonds, mayonnaise and mustard. Pro tip: For any sandwich with a strong, vibrant flavor, Marco recommends whole-wheat bread -- preferably with malted flour and seeds.
The Plaid Tramezzino Sandwich Recipe
Serves 5
The Plaid tramezzino sandwich was born one day last November when Marco was at work, thinking all the while about how much he would gladly be at home… with his Silvia and his little Achilles. An even better version of the daydream? All three of them, cuddled together, under the warm “plaid” blanket at home.
Ingredients:
For the gorgonzola cream
6 oz. of gorgonzola, 5 oz. cream cheese, Salt, pepper, nutmeg to taste
In a medium-sized bowl, carefully fold the ‘zola (that’s Italian slang for gorgonzola) into the cream cheese with a spatula. Don’t mix too much! For optimal taste and texture, keep the ‘zola pieces in chunks. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg.
For Cynar jam
4 ½ oz. of Cynar (an Italian artichoke-based bittersweet liqueur), 1 tbsp. sugar, 1 tsp. agar agar
Bring Cynar to a boil in a small saucepan. Mix sugar with agar agar in a separate bowl. Remove Cynar from heat and add sugar and agar agar mixture. Mix well. Bring to a boil once more and spread onto a plate to cool.
For Jerusalem artichoke
10 oz. Jerusalem artichoke, 1 vanilla bean, 1 tonka bean, Butter, Chopped hazelnut, Maldon salt to taste
First, blanch the Jerusalem artichokes. Cut blanched artichokes and sauté in a medium-sized pan with butter, chopped hazelnut, vanilla bean and tonka bean. Sauté until crispy, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, cool and season with plenty of Maldon salt.
Final composition
Toast three slices of wholewheat bread (with malted flour and seeds) on the grill. Allow bread to cool. Once the bread cools, it’s time to layer! First, spread the gorgonzola cream directly on the toast followed by a layer of chopped Cynar jam. Then add the sautéed Jerusalem artichokes. Close this layer off with another slice of bread. Next, spread a thin layer of mustard followed by mayonnaise. On top of that, arrange two slices of ham and layer ham with toasted almonds followed by two more slices of ham. Next, a slice of bread with a final light layer of mayonnaise to ensure that ham remains in place. Then comes the essential part of preparation that makes a tramezzino sandwich a tramezzino sandwich in Italy (invented in Turin, the tramezzino is the Italian response to the English tea sandwich): no crust with a triangle shape. So, remove the crust, cut into triangles and serve!