What is the gastronomic panettone?

Are you looking for ideas for a tasty appetizer at the same time scenographic to bring to the table for a Christmas lunch or for New Year’s Eve dinner? Then the gourmet panettone it could be for you. Don’t be scared, we are not proposing to open the banquet with dessert. It is quite simply one salty reinterpretation of the traditional Christmas dessert, which has come back into vogue in recent years above all thanks to the many television programs dedicated to the kitchen that have dusted it off and to the activity of innovative pastry chefs. So what is the gastronomic panettone? Let’s see it together.

Gourmet Panettone, that’s what it is

The gastronomic panettone, or Salted Panettone, is a sort of maxi sandwich served as an appetizer or aperitif. It’s about the same leavened product which we eat as sweet, but “stripped” of candied fruit, raisins and all the other ingredients that pastry chefs add to create their delicious dessert variations. So, the flavor becomes more neutral and we have a starting point for our alternative dish.

To become gastronomic, the “naked” panettone comes cut into horizontal slices with a thickness as similar as possible, from the base to the tip. Subsequently, each disc obtained must be stuffed with your favorite ingredients. In this step, you can unleash your creativity, while taking care to create pleasant combinations. Each “floor” can be enriched with different combinations of products in such a way that when the panettone is served at the table and sliced, the diners will be able to taste different fillings.

The classic ingredients that usually find space in this preparation are sauces, cold cuts, salmon and cheeses. But, as already mentioned, everyone can experiment with the ones they prefer by drawing inspiration from the infinite amount of proposals found online. After the operation, the panettone must be reassembled going to form what in all respects it will look like a sandwich or a giant sandwich. So this is what the gastronomic panettone is.

An uncertain story

The origins of the gastronomic panettone are not very clear. One of the few certain things is that his period of greatest popularity in Italy was between the seventies and eighties when it frequently dominated the tables for Christmas lunches together with canapés and Russian salad. It is in the last ten years that he has been rediscovered among attempts to multiply consumption opportunities of the product during the holidays as well as at the moment of the dessert and those of seasonally adjust the panettone and propose it even away from the winter season.

For sure, this is not an easy appetizer to make at home, especially if you have never had to deal with leavened products in the kitchen. Those who don’t feel like preparing the panettone in a do-it-yourself way, the most difficult part of the recipe, but still want to amaze the guests at Christmas lunch, can buy a gourmet panettone ready in one of the many pastry shops that have returned to offer them. Alternatively, you can buy plain brioche bread and build afake panettone” which will certainly make a good impression among the Christmas appetizers.