Fall

Speck, Frisée, Onion, Radish Butter

by:
June  4, 2010
3.7
3 Ratings
  • Serves 1
Author Notes

When I was in Italy 2+ decades ago for a study-abroad program, sandwiches were very simply prepared, with various salumi, really great bread, cheese, and sometimes butter as the only condiment. This is a jazzed-up version of a speck and butter sandwich. The garlic butter is my own creation. I got the idea of adding the radishes from a recipe I found for Radish Herb Butter on the blog Apple Pie, Patis, Pâté. Doesn’t look like it’s been updated in a while, but I’m glad the recipes are still there. Here's the link: www.applepiepatispate.com/appetizer/radish-herb-butter - mrslarkin —mrslarkin

Test Kitchen Notes

This recipe sent me on a joyful scavenger hunt through our local specialty grocery store Central Market to track down juniper berries, speck, frisee and green garlic. All of the ingredients make up a intensely flavorful sandwich. The mildly smoky, salty speck with the slightly sweet pumpernickel are then spiced up with frisky frisee and radishes. I'm a big fan of adding a splash of vinegar to a sandwich and the sherry vinegar adds a whole new dimension. This sandwich is so rich that I will not make it all of the time, but rather save it for a special occasion when I want to treat myself! - nannydeb —The Editors

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • For the Radish Butter
  • 4 ounces unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature
  • 2 green garlic, chopped (bulb, stalk and some tender green leaves)
  • 10 juniper berries, crushed (optional)
  • 1 small sprig fresh rosemary, chopped
  • sea salt or kosher salt
  • 2 large breakfast radishes, or any radishes, julienned
  • For the Sandwich
  • 2 slices pumpernickel bread, or bread of your choice (toasted brioche would be nice)
  • 4 or 5 thin slices speck, or prosciutto di Parma
  • frisee
  • onion, sliced thin
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • sherry vinegar
  • sea salt or kosher salt
  • fresh cracked black pepper
Directions
  1. For the Radish Butter
  2. In a bowl, combine butter, green garlic, juniper berries, and rosemary. Mash together. Add salt to taste.
  3. Place 2 tablespoons of the butter in another bowl. Add the radishes and gently fold together.
  4. Wrap the remaining garlic butter. Lay a long piece of plastic wrap on your counter. Mound the butter mixture onto the center of the plastic wrap. Gently fold the plastic wrap up over the butter mound and roll into a log. Refrigerate.
  1. For the Sandwich
  2. Spread bottom piece of bread with some of the extra garlic butter.
  3. Next, drape the speck over the buttered bread.
  4. Place some frisee on the speck.
  5. Lay some sliced onion on next.
  6. Drizzle very lightly with olive oil and sherry vinegar. Sprinkle some salt and pepper over.
  7. Gently lay radish butter over. Sprinkle with salt.
  8. Top with second slice of bread. Cut sandwich in half and enjoy!
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3 Reviews

mrslarkin June 17, 2010
nannydeb, thanks very much for kindly testing this recipe! So glad you enjoyed it and your scavenger hunt! BTW, I just fried up the last of our speck for dinner. They turn into beautifully crispy "bacon leaves", in case anyone's wondering what the heck to do with the rest of their speck.
 
Lizthechef June 17, 2010
Beautiful photo - and congrats on your EP - am into the radish butter bigtime...
 
mrslarkin June 17, 2010
thanks so much, Liz. yeah, I'm a little radish-obsessed lately.