Alpine Turkey Reuben

The inspiration for this sandwich came from Lago di Braies, which was where our summer Alta Via 1 trek in the dolomites began. We started the day by waking up early, packing up, having breakfast at our hotel, and trying to navigate the bus system to get from Cortina d’Ampezzo to Lago di Braies. This brought quite a few challenges, like finding the right bus stop, realizing that the posted timetable was incorrect, changing over busses in Dobbiaco, and enduring a very hot and crowded bus ride from Dobbiaco to Lago di Braies. By the time we arrived at the lake, it was already after noon, and we needed food before we could start the day’s hike to our first hut, Rifugio Biella.

So, we stopped at the little restaurant at the north end of the lake, ogled some sandwiches through the glass, and made our selections. I ordered a caprese sandwich on squid ink bread because I found the bread fascinating. My wife selected the turkey sandwich with greens and alpine cheese. From there, we walked to the south end of the lake (near our trailhead), found a picnic bench under a tree, and unwrapped our lunches. Mine was good, but hers was awesome! It had sauerkraut on it (much to our surprise), and she doesn’t normally like sauerkraut…but this one was infused with honey, which took away some of the natural bitterness and replaced it with a sweeter flavour. It was a revelation, and we filed it away in our minds to make when we got home.

So, we bought a cabbage, sliced it, fermented it over the course of a few weeks, and finally, we were ready to build! We bought an artisan bread loaf from a local bakery, picked up some spinach from our local farm, and got to work! Once we assembled, we broke out my mom’s old panini press, which heated our sandwiches to perfection. They were crispy on the outside, and all the innards were hot and/or melted (as in the case of the cheese). If you’re looking for a fun alpine take on a Reuben, give these sandwiches a try!

Time: 20 Minutes

Ingredients:

• Artisan Bread
• Sauerkraut
• Honey
• Deli Turkey
• Cheese of your Choice. We used a sharp cheddar for some salty notes, but we Raclette or Emmentaler would be really nice here too.
• Arugula or Baby Spinach
• Black Pepper

Method:

• Scoop your sauerkraut into a bowl, trying to move as much of the liquid as possible (to prevent a soggy sandwich).
• Drizzle a good amount of honey over your sauerkraut, and add your black pepper. Stir to combine.
• Arrange a layer of cheese on the bottom slice of bread, and top it with your honey sauerkraut mixture.
• Layer your deli turkey and greens on next.
• Place one more layer of cheese over everything, and then add your top bread slice.
• Put in your panini press, and let cook for 5-7 minutes until your bread browns to your liking.
• Plate, devour, and enjoy!