The gastronomic panettone, just look at it and you immediately want to give it back a leading role in the holidays for which it was born: Christmas and New Year. Convivial, imaginative, greedy. One of the merits of Instagram is having brought back many beautiful things on our screens, perhaps démodé or simply forgotten.

Where can you buy it? Or, for those who have more patience, how do you do it? You can decide to prepare it from scratch, including basic bread, or to buy it ready to serve, stuffed and already cut so as not to ruin the delicate assembly. In this case, turn to high-level pastry shops and delicatessens to guarantee maximum freshness.

A good compromise is to buy the ready-made base and stuff it at home, however you like. Get the appropriate one pan canasta, a cross between brioche bread and bread, made with flour, eggs and butter: it has a neutral flavor that lends itself to a sweet filling, with creams, ganache and dried fruit, or savory, with sauces, cheeses, cold cuts .

Stuff the gastronomic panettone it is not difficult, and if we can give you a suggestion to simplify the approach, think about preparing some sandwiches. Divide the bread cylinder into 5-6 discs; then cut them in half; stuffed with previously prepared condiments and present your little masterpiece.

It is an excellent aperitif with bubbles, and a playful appetizer when you are already seated at the table: everyone will take from the mega sandwich the segment that appeals to them the most. The sweet version, on the other hand, concludes the meal, but is also an elegant snack at tea time.

How you do it:

The trick to facilitate the tasting of gastronomic panettone is to put two slices between the fillings. Thus, the single portion becomes a real sandwich. Traditionally, there are five layers, but here we have exaggerated and made six:

Shrimp cocktail

We prepared the pink sauce by mixing mayonnaise and ketchup, but everyone can choose their recipe to spread on the slice of panettone. Spread the shrimp on top. We put the same filling in the first and last layer.

Blini reimagined

Smoked salmon and sour cream scented with grated lime zest and pink pepper and garnished with chopped chives.
After all, panettone is also an XXL-sized blini.

Easier than toast

Slices of raw ham and creamy Piedmontese robiola. Slice a few radishes and put them on top.

Mortadella and green sauce

To prepare the sauce, you need a cup of parsley, 3 anchovy fillets in oil, a spoonful of pistachios and one of capers, 2 gherkins and 60 g of extra virgin olive oil. Blend everything for 15 seconds and the sauce is ready.

Eggs and mayonnaise

Spread the mayonnaise on the slice, cover it with slices of hard-boiled egg and complete with some cherry tomatoes in oil.

The sweet gourmet panettone

Four creams to transform a classic panettone into a spectacular dessert:

Vanilla cream

Mix 250 g of fresh cream with 40 g of mascarpone, 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar and the seeds of 1/2 vanilla pod. Whip with electric whisk until the cream is firm. Spread it on the panettone and complete with pomegranate grains and sliced ​​almonds.

Eggnog

Beat 4 egg yolks with 120 g of sugar. Add 100 g of white wine and 100 g of Marsala. Cook over low heat, in a double boiler, stirring for 7-10 minutes until the eggnog becomes frothy. Cool it in the fridge for 1 hour before using it for stuffing.

Pistachio

Mix a pistachio cream (you can buy it at the supermarket) with a cup of mascarpone. Spread it on a layer of panettone and sprinkle with chopped pistachios.

Chocolate

Prepare a custard with 8 egg yolks and, at the end of cooking, while it is still hot, add 100-150 g of chopped dark chocolate. Leave to cool, then spread the cream on the slice of panettone and add fresh raspberries.