Club Sandwich mania - Fiore 1827: from classic to innovative

The challenge of the best Club Sandwich with chefs from 13 excellent hotels in Florence at Vito Mollica's Atto restaurant in Palazzo Portinari Salviati

It was at Vito Mollica's Atto restaurant in the Salotto of Palazzo Portinari Salviati in Florence that the challenge of the best Club Sandwich started with the chefs of 13 excellent hotels in the city. And it was Florence itself that set off a new trend, during Fuori di Taste, thanks to the Club Sandwich mania - Fiore 1827 event organised by Davide Paolini one of Italy's most important food and wine critics, Gianni Mercatali a communication guru and Gruppo Editoriale a publishing house specialising in lifestyle publishing. There was great animation in the restaurant's modern kitchens with the chefs taking turns every quarter of an hour to prepare their dish, which was then presented to a jury of 12 experts, including journalists, food and wine critics and regulars from the hotellerie. Paired with two wines from the Cecchi Family Estates: Vermentino Cobalto from Val delle Rose in Maremma and Chianti Classico Ribaldoni from Villa Rosa in Castellina in Chianti.

All the chefs who participated in the contest

It was interesting to discover how a stuffed sandwich, the world's favourite, can be interpreted and revisited by working on different and diverse ingredients and sauces. What emerged was a kaleidoscope of flavours, shapes and colours that challenged the jury, who had to indicate the classic, the innovative and the best presented. It was, of course, the ingredients that made the difference. But not only. From the more traditional chicken or turkey, to quail stuffed with chestnuts, smoked salmon, octopus and red prawn. Winning the 3 cups from the Petruzzi&Branca silversmiths were Giovanni Cosmai of the Hotel Savoy's Irene Restaurant for the Classic, and Paolo Lavezzini (1 Michelin star) of the Atrium Bar at the Four Seasons Hotel Firenze who was awarded the Famiglia Cecchi Prize for the Innovative category but also for Best Presentation.

The contest jury

'What an exciting competition,' said Davide Paolini, president of the jury. At the counting of the votes of the 12 judges, I felt like I was at a Formula 1 Saturday, when you are racing for pole position, because among the chefs the points were like hundredths of a second between the drivers. Yes, there were winners, but the overall level of the 13 was applaudable'. Among the competing chefs were Rocco De Santis (2 Michelin stars) of the Osteria Pagliazza & Tower Bar at the Brunelleschi Hotel, Oscar Severini of the Cibreo Ristorante & Cocktail Bar at the Helvetia&Bristol, Marco Migliorati of SE-Sto on Arno The Westin Excelsior, Gentian Shehi of the Winter Garden at the St. Regis, Claudio Lopopolo of the Relais Le Jardin Hotel Regency, Claudio Mengoni of the Picteau Hotel Lungarno, Ariel Hagen (1 Michelin star) of Saporium Borgo Santo Pietro, Mirko Cesari of Harry's Bar Sina Villa Medici, Alessandro Liberatore Le Bistrot di Villa Cora, Stefano Ballarino Il Verrocchio and l'Oliveto Bistrot di Villa La Massa, Rudy Saderi Ristorante Giacomo Hotel Il Salviatino.

MATTEO PARIGI BINI, DAVIDE PAOLINI, GIOVANNI COSMAI, PAOLO LAVEZZINI, VITO MOLLICA, GIANNI MERCATALI

Some proposed the classic version while others preferred the creative one. But even those who opted for the Classic sometimes intervened with variations on the theme, replacing the hard-boiled egg with the fried version cooked on both sides, or with an omelette scented with mint, basil and Parmesan cheese. Those who substituted cassette bread with a brioche bun where its soft sweetness blended nicely with the saltiness of the bacon. And then there were those who sampled tender and tasty roast beef instead of chicken. Among the innovators were those who went for seafood where chicken or turkey was replaced by octopus and its cooking water was used to make mayonnaise. Fish continued to be present with plated salmon and again with grilled octopus, with cuttlefish and those who used a red prawn tartare.

GABRIELE FILIPPINI E GIOVANNI COSMAIDAVIDE PAOLINI, PAOLO LAVEZZINI, ANDREA CECCHI

The Club Sandwich is the world's best-loved and most revisited stuffed sandwich but its origins are uncertain: some say it was invented by the chef of the Union Club in New York, other sources believe it first appeared in the late 19th century in a men's club, in Saratoga Springs in upstate New York, when sandwiches were usually reserved for ladies; for others still, the name originates from the structure of the double-decker coaches (like the slices in the recipe) introduced in 1895 by the Pennsylvania Railroad. What is certain is that this mouth-watering sandwich has, in a short time, travelled from America around the world. And it was precisely from the experience of this event that it became clear that even in Italy there is no shortage of interpretations of it, thanks to the successful combination with excellent raw materials, from bread to bacon, from tomatoes to eggs, from cheese to meat and fish.