The only thing more decadent than starting off a meal with a platter of mortadella is starting off a meal with a platter of breadsticks rolled in spicy chilli butter and then wrapped in mortadella.
I first had a mortadella-wrapped breadstick at Nancy Silverton’s Osteria Mozza and haven’t stopped thinking about it since. My version features a super-simple compound butter with funky, spicy Calabrian chillies and lemon zest (to really live, try it on roast chicken and baked potatoes).
The citrus and spice help cut through the fatty mortadella and bring harmony to what may be the world’s easiest and most impressive snack.
Makes 16
unsalted butter 5 tbsp
jarred Calabrian chillies 2 tbsp, chopped
flaky sea salt
lemon zest of ½
grissini or breadsticks 16
mortadella 16 thin slices
To make the chilli butter, cut the butter into 2cm pieces, transfer to a small bowl, and let it sit at room temperature until soft and malleable.
Once the butter is soft, add the chopped Calabrian chillies and a big pinch of flaky sea salt, and mix together with a fork until bright orange and well combined.
Smear the butter on a large plate. Sprinkle the lemon zest over the butter.
Roll each grissini in the chilli butter, season with flaky sea salt, then wrap in a slice of mortadella. Alternatively, set out the grissini, chilli butter and sea salt, and let people wrap them themselves.
From More is More: Get Loose in the Kitchen by Molly Baz (Murdoch, £26)
