The 10 Best Sandwitches

Method:

The Sardinian Midnight Panino

Some sandwiches are planned. This one probably never was.

Imagine a warm Sardinian summer night, somewhere close enough to the sea that you can still smell the salt in the air. Dinner has gone on for hours. Someone grilled too many sausages, the peppers have been blackening slowly over the fire, and nobody is officially hungry anymore.

Then, sometime after midnight, someone cuts open a loaf of bread.

That is how this panino is born: smoky sausage, sweet roasted peppers, and salty Pecorino Sardo, all pressed into warm, crusty bread. It is simple, generous and very Sardinian.

Roast the peppers

Roast the peppers over a barbecue, gas flame or under a very hot grill until the skins are blistered and blackened.

Place them in a covered bowl for 10 minutes. The steam will loosen the skins.

Peel away the blackened skin, remove the seeds and slice the peppers into generous strips. Dress them with a little extra virgin olive oil. Do not over-season them; their sweetness is the whole point.

Cook the sausage

Cook the sausages slowly over medium heat until browned and juicy.

Do not rush them. The fat should render gently and the outside should become caramelised rather than burnt.

When cooked, slice each sausage lengthwise. This makes the panino easier to eat and gives every bite a proper piece of sausage.

Build the panino

Slice the bread open and toast the inside lightly.

Add the roasted peppers first, then the hot sausage, then thick slices of Pecorino Sardo.

The heat from the sausage should soften the cheese without turning it into a full melt.

Finish with black pepper. Add basil if you want freshness, or a few drops of honey if you want that beautiful Sardinian sweet-salty note.

Close the sandwich and press it gently on the grill for about 1 minute.

Serving

Eat immediately, preferably late at night, when the table is still messy, the wine glasses are still out, and nobody is in any hurry to go home.