I’m a big fan of Thanksgiving and while I love all the classic dishes, a dab of cranberry sauce on my plate at dinner is enough for me; when leftover turkey sandwich time comes, I want a different flavor profile.
I turned to Matt Caputo for help. He grew up in the deli business, now running the company his father started, Tony Caputo's Market and Deli, which has four locations. Matt is one of the first American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Experts and he runs one of the country’s most cutting edge affinage (cheese aging) programs. He is also an internationally recognized chocolate expert.
Here’s his step-by-step recipe for your new sandwich tradition:
“I love leftover turkey,” Caputo says, “However, at my house all the moist dark meat goes first so we are often left with the less rich and drier white meat. I like to cube it up and mix together with homemade mayonnaise, shallots, cornichons, and Fallot Tarragon Mustard from Dijon, France.
Next: This all goes on toasted Mountain Bread from Eva’s, a Salt Lake City bakery, made from whole wheat and dark rye flours, with raisins, organic millet, organic sesame seeds, organic poppy seeds and organic pumpkin seeds.
“After toasting I put a slice of Ossau Iraty cheese on the bread, apply the turkey salad, add bitter greens and tomatoes,” Matt says.
Pair it with: “I will enjoy this sandwich this year with Feints from Utah's Ruth Lewandowski winery. NOT because their wine is local, but because it is world class.”
Matt enjoys Thanksgiving in Salt Lake City with his family, and his favorite memory of the holiday is the first time he and his wife, Yelena (“mostly my wife”) cooked Thanksgiving Dinner and hosted their whole family at his house. “This is now the tradition and we do Thanksgiving at our house. It was a great memory because I realized I should be incredibly proud and thankful for Yelena's insane cooking skills. Each year she outdoes herself and I am filled with gratitude for being the luckiest guy on Earth.”
Caputo is also a skier, holding all Utah resorts in esteem. “Love them all. Not to be politically correct,” Matt says. “I just ski a lot and find a lot to enjoy at most resorts. I like moguls, speed, chutes, trees, you name it. Since I had kids I am too chicken to do the big jumps anymore, but other than that, love it all.”
