Amiamo mangiare la Mortadella

Today The Seffalice will mostly be recommending mortadella.

The sliced cooked and cured (e.g. Parma) hams are relatively expensive here (at least at the rate we go through them), as is braesola. And, while La Seffalice adores prosciutto crudo, I find it too sweaty-flavoured a meat for my tastes at the best of times, moreso when it's been sliced some time ago, cased in plastic and left on a supermarket shelf to think about what it's done.

Mortadella has done the job. It originates from Bologna, is made from minced pork, lard and pepper, and is the cheap and tasty option from the supermarket. I'm not convinced that it doesn't share a cousin with the great British saveloy, and I had always steered away from it in the UK because of it's spam-like appearance, but I'm definitely not mentioning that to La Seffalice. Check out this link for more and the animation of the pretty lady with the big meat.

I don't know that Hugh Chomondley-Featherstoneshaw gives any instruction in his otherwise fine book, so if any of you meatheads want to have a crack at it here's a recipe, there's still time to make the Christmas present that keeps on giving.