Picture the perfect sandwich showstopper, born from the fusion of Britain’s sandwich legacy and Italy’s mastery of dough. As we gear up for British Sandwich Week, (20th – 26th May), Italian chef Francesco Mazzei has ingeniously crafted a pulled Welsh Lamb piadina mozzarella, promising to elevate your sandwich game by marrying the heritage of British sandwiches with Italian culinary finesse.
Since the inception of the trusty sandwich, it has undergone remarkable evolution from its humble origins. We now have a remarkable variety of breads, flavour combinations and creative twists. Italian cuisine is all about simplicity and care, and this sandwich recipe is sure to spark culinary creativity in the kitchen.
Chef Francesco Mazzei also believes the key to achieving the perfect sandwich is sourcing meat from the right environment. Countries like Wales offer pristine conditions—clean air, rich grass, and pure mountain streams—that naturally produce superior-quality meat, resulting in tastier sandwiches while also supporting a healthy, sustainable diet.
Speaking of curating the perfect sandwich showstopper, Francesco Mazzei commented “Creating exceptional dishes starts with selecting the finest ingredients and this doesn’t change when it comes to sandwiches. I love cooking with Welsh meat because of the flavour it brings, and it is particularly tender. Welsh lamb, raised in pristine environments with clean air and rich grasslands, delivers unparalleled flavour and it is fantastic to have this quality product on our doorsteps, straight from the Welsh mountain”.
RECIPE
Francesco Mazzei’s Pulled Welsh Lamb Piadina Mozzarella
- Prep Time: 45 mins
- Cooking Time: 3 hours 30 mins
- Serves: 5+
Ingredients
For the lamb:
- PGI Welsh Lamb shoulder, boned and excess fat removed (approx. 1.5kg)
- 3 garlic bulbs, each bulb cut in half
- 30ml extra virgin olive oil
- 250ml Pinot Grigio
- 500ml vegetable stock
- 4 chillies
- 4 green peppers, roughly cut
- 4 red peppers, roughly cut
- 750g canned peeled tomatoes, without juice
- 40g spicy paprika powder
- 20ml Sauvignon vinegar
- Few sprigs of rosemary
- Pinch of sea salt
For the piadina:
- 500g ‘00’ flour
- 170ml water
- 125g lard
- 15g fine salt
- 1½ tsp baking soda
For the pickled cucumbers:
- 600g cucumber
- 100g chardonnay vinegar
- 25g brown sugar
- ½ bunch of dill
- 10g fresh ginger
- 25g salt
For the garnish:
- 250g mozzarella
Method
- Preheat the oven to 155˚C / 135˚C fan / Gas 2.
- Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large casserole/sauté pan and sear the lamb with the halved garlic bulbs. Pour in the wine and let it evaporate. Then add the rosemary, paprika, peppers and chillies. Add the tomatoes, stock and season with salt. Cook, uncovered, for about 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours.
- Meanwhile make the pickled cucumbers. Thinly slice the cucumbers lengthwise. In a shallow dish, add the salt, sugar and dill. Slice the ginger and add to the dish. Lay the slices of cucumber on top, add more salt and dill and pour over the vinegar. Leave to marinate for about 1 hour.
- Once the lamb has cooked and cooled down, remove it from the pan. Remove all the flesh from the bone and shred it by hand.
- Transfer all the sauce from the pan into a mouli or blender (you will need to squeeze the garlic cloves out of the bulbs). Blitz the sauce until smooth. Adjust with salt if needed, and the vinegar. Set aside.
- To make the piadina, mix the flour, salt, lard and baking soda in a bowl. Start adding the water and knead by hand. When combined, transfer to a table and continue to work until smooth. Wrap in cling film and leave to rest for about 30 minutes.
- Roll the dough into a sausage shape and cut into 6 equal parts. Roll each piece into a ball, cover with cling film and rest for another 30 minutes. Lightly flour the worktop and roll out the balls with a rolling pin to a thickness of about 2-3mm.
- Heat a 22cm non-stick pan over a medium heat. Cook each disc of dough for about 2 minutes each side, constantly rotating them to allow for an even cooking.
- Lay the piadina on a work surface or board and spread with some of the sauce. Place the lamb on half of each piadina, add some sliced mozzarella and pickled cucumber. Fold the piadina in half, and half again and place in the oven at 170˚C / 150˚C fan / Gas 3 for 3 minutes or until crispy. Serve alongside the sauce.
