Francobolli: Little Sandwiches with Pepper Cream and Grilled Eggplant

These two-bite sandwiches are one of many clever cicchetti (small bites) served in Venice’s bàcari (wine and snack bars). You may be familiar with tramezzini, those elegant triangles of white bread (crusts trimmed!) generously (but neatly) filled with egg salad or tuna and tomato or any number of other fillings. Think of francobolli (stamps) as mini-tramezzini, in which one square sandwich is cut into four smaller squares. Perfect cicchetti!

 Note that you can grill the pepper and the eggplant at the same time. You may end up with leftover grilled eggplant and pepper cream. My daughter used them to make herself a full-size sandwich for lunch. (Slightly adapted from Cinnamon and Salt, by Emiko Davies.)

Makes 12 cicchetti

INGREDIENTS
Roasted Pepper Cream
1 red bell pepper
1/3 cup (75 g) cream cheese
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch of dried peperoncino
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Fine sea salt

 Grilled Eggplant
1 medium eggplant
Extra-virgin olive oil
Fine sea salt
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
A few flat-leaf parsley sprigs, finely chopped
A splash or two of red or white wine vinegar

 Francobolli
6 slices soft white bread
Roasted Pepper Cream
Grilled Eggplant

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Make the roasted pepper cream: Heat a gas grill on high or turn on the oven broiler. To grill, set the pepper on the hot grill grate and close the lid. Grill, turning the pepper with tongs every so often, until it is blackened on all sides and beginning to collapse. Transfer it to a bowl and cover with a lid to steam for about 10 minutes. To broil, put the pepper on a small baking sheet and place under the broiler. Turn every so often, until blackened on all sides. Transfer to a bowl and cover with a lid to steam for 10 minutes.

 2. Pull the stem off the pepper and pour out any liquid. Cut or pull the pepper in half and with a paring knife gently scrape away the charred skin and seeds. Transfer to a food processor or blender and add the cream cheese, olive oil, peperoncino, Parmigiano cheese, and a pinch of salt. Blend or process until smooth. Transfer to a lidded container (can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 4 days).

3 Grill the eggplant: Cut it crosswise into thinnish slices (between 1/4-inch and 1/2-inch thick). Brush lightly with olive oil. Set the slices on the hot grates and grill, turning once or twice as needed, until you have char marks and the slices are nicely softened, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a deep plate. Whisk together the garlic, parsley, and olive oil with a generous pinch of salt. If you like, add a splash or two of red or white wine vinegar (I did). Pour this over the hot eggplant slices and let marinate until cool.

 4. Make the francobolli: Trim the crusts off the bread slices and spread red pepper cream thickly on 3 of the slices. Cover with rounds of eggplant, smooshing them slightly to make them fit within the borders of the bread slices. Cover each with another slice of bread and press gently. With a serrated knife, cut each sandwich into quarters to make 4 small squares. (You can leave them as is, or toast them in a sandwich press or skillet until the bread is golden.) Secure with toothpicks and arrange on a plate.