Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Spicy Salami Spread (Nduja) – Almost Instant Soft Serve Salami

I’m not saying this spicy salami spread is as good as traditional nduja, but I am saying this takes about 3 months less time to make, and still delivers most of the characteristics that make this Calabrian delicacy so amazing. And just in case you’re not familiar with nduja, a few of those characteristics are a rich, spicy, super-savory flavor, and soft, luxurious texture.

Finding some decent salami to use should be simple enough, but depending on where you live, the oil-packed Calabrian chilies may not be as easy to acquire. Any decent Italian market will carry them, so ask your Calabrian friends where they shop, but if that doesn’t work, you can find them online as well. Or, you could use another spicy, jarred pepper product like Sambal, or simply use fresh hot chilies like Fresno, or cherry peppers. If it’s spicy, and it’s a pepper, it will work.

You can substitute bacon for the pancetta, but since bacon is smoked, your final product will taste significantly different. Not bad, just different. In any event, the wonderful ways you can use this are extensive. I gave a few ideas in the video, but other highly recommended uses include adding it to pasta sauces, salad dressings, ravioli fillings, and even as a pizza topping.

Having said that, this stuff is so unique, and delicious, your guests might not leave you with much to experiment with, which is fine, since this is so fast and easy to produce. So, with peak entertaining season right in front of us, I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!


Ingredients for about 2 cups Spicy Salami Spread (Nduja):
4 ounces sliced or diced pancetta, cooked, fat reserved
1/3 cup seeded hot Calabrian peppers
3 tablespoons Calabrian pepper oil from the jar
12 ounces sliced salami
1/4 cup room temp butter
2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil, or as needed to adjust the texture to your liking
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33 comments:

Nomikoi said...

I've been watching you for awhile and I haven't gotten around to saying thanks for making cool stuff. Thanks for making this.

Nomikoi said...

Thanks for making this cool spread. Any chance you could make more keto recipes?

Chris K. said...

1/4 butter what? You don't mention the proportion in the video either. Couldn't you just use rendered lard instead?

Genthar said...

1/4 room temp butter? Missing a unit there...

KBO said...

G'day Chef John,
Thank you so much for this Nduja recipe. For years we have been buying Italian Nduja from our Italian wholesale deli. It is absolutely heavenly, if you like intense, complex hot spiciness. It is not for the faint hearted taste buds. However, as a guide, if you like super hot chilli con carne or a vindaloo curry then Nduja spread is for you. Trouble is the real deal from Italy is incredibly expensive so your alternate recipe will come in handy. We'll still buy the real stuff because we're hooked but thanks to you we will shave a few dollars off our Nduja spending. Might even try mixing your recipe with the genuine article to make it go further and lighten the Lira load.
While I'm here and talking Italian, can I please, again, ask for a video on the method of prepping a Zampone? It's one of my favourite Italian meals but I need some guidance on boning out the pig's trotter without making holes. I know it's a rare dish but more people would do this delicious piggy purity if they had the skinny on how to do it themselves. Cheers, Caro John, Ciao Bello!

Lucas said...

Chef John,

Thanks for the great recipe. Is there anything you can recommend as a sweet complement to this dish? Would figs work?

Thanks again.

MaryCooks said...

Chef John, can you use lard instead of butter?

Andrew_M_Garland said...

1/4 room temp butter

Do you mean 1/4 cup (2 oz)?

karl j. seely said...

I'm curious what takes so long about the authentic recipe.

Sandra from Montreal said...

This sounds so good! I like your idea to use it as a ravioli filling; what sort of sauce would go with, I wonder....

Nancy said...

I dollop little bits into my homemade pizza and do the same with eggplant parmigiana...I call this a flavor bomb and love it. Will try as soon as I find the peppers!

Unknown said...

Wow! I made this last night using cheap ingredients and it was still awesome! If you have quality ingredients, then make this recipe, but even if you have only cheap stuff, make it anyway!

Thanks Chef John!

tim said...

What size of the room or can it just be 1/4 of any room?

Unknown said...

Where do I find written directions for making Spicey Salami Spread

S/V Blondie-Dog said...

Greetings Chef! I'll has ya' knows dat' there was a time in my life that I thought that pancetta was little more than but a fancy overpriced baloney. And yep, my sandwich was gawd awful. That greasy mouth feel must have stuck with me for a week not to say anything about what I had previously thought to be a cast iron stomach. Anywho's my finicky lady-friend later done shown me the error of my ways lord bless her soul cuz' I ain't like that no more and I now knows' better and I nows' be forgiven. Thanks anyways! You're still da' best!

ign0rantc0nsumer said...

"1/4 room temp butter"

I assume 1/4 of all the world's butter?

Love your posts!! My girlfriend adored the Peposo I made last winter, that got me hooked on trying most your recipes.

ign0rantc0nsumer said...

"1/4 room temp butter"

I am going to assume you mean 1/4 of all the world's butter supply until I hear otherwise.

Love the post. Been making a lot of your recipes since I made Peposo for the girlfriend last winter.

Unknown said...

Broiled oysters with this on top. It's kinda like oysters Rockefeller, but it's not. A dab of 'nduja, butter and a slice of Romano and boom.

Kurt '45superman' Hofmann said...

If you will forgive an undoubtedly dumb question, does "1/4 room temp butter" mean 1/4 stick, 1/4 C, 1/4 lb., or some other amount?

Unknown said...

Can't wait to try this. Shouldn't it be tagged with Dip though, just like the deviled ham and other similar items?

Zach said...

What’s a good bread to use it on?

TheGreekest said...

What is the 1/4 of room temp butter? TBS? Also thank you for all the great videos! I love trying them and have great success with most of them! Your technique videos have really upped my home cooking game!

Unknown said...

"1/4 butter"

1/4 cup? 1/4 gallon? 1/4 of all the butter in the world?

Unknown said...

Making it tomorrow!

Ace said...

Your post calls for "1/4 room temp butter". Is that 1/4 stick or 1/4 cup (or 1/4 something else)?

Gracie's Dad said...

yay....thank you

Gracie's Dad said...

yay......thank you

J. Dopheide Kitchen said...

Chef John! I really enjoy your videos. I'd like to make this recipe and I'm struggling to find the right peppers. I see a few sites that sell Calabrian peppers, but they are all labeled "long." Can you tell me more about the shorter peppers used in the video? Thanks!

NoUseForAName said...

Hey CJ,
We are long- time watchers and diligent students of yours.
Would a can of Chipotle Peppers in Adobo sauce work for this?
I know substitution questions are not so much fun, because you have already worked hard on telling us exactly how to do it correctly, so that’s for entertaining them....if you will entertain them. If you won’t, that’s ok. We still like you. And your fake mustache.
-E

wes said...

Why did you bring this into my life? Thought I would just make a batch this morning to take for Thanksgiving at my sisters; now I have to make a second batch. Really, really good.

Unknown said...

My first post, John. This spread is going to be served at our annual Christmas pot luck lunch. The recipe looks fantastic, thank you!
Mike

Unknown said...

I think if you wrap it in plastic wrap like a log and chill it (think compound butter), guests could slice portions of it to put on their toast or whatever. No double dipping!
Also, would bacon fat be a good sub for butter?

Michael Taylor said...

This looks great. I tried to find Nduja at my local Whole Foods, but they had no idea what I was talking about. One question: if kept in a sealed jar in the fridge, how long will Nduja made from this recipe keep?