OH YES! You can now buy ‘nduja in the supermarket
We declared our love for ‘nduja, the spicy Calabrian spreadable sausage, a long time ago. ’Nduja is one of my favorite flavor bombs in the pantry. And now you don’t have to travel to Southern Italy’s Calabria for it (although that’s a very good idea too). You can now also buy ‘nduja in Dutch supermarkets. And that, dear people, adds so much richness to your life. Or at least to your dishes.
Just one more quick question: what exactly is the much-praised ‘nduja, and what’s the best way to use this spicy spreadable sausage?
What exactly is ‘nduja?
‘Nduja is an incredibly spicy, spreadable salami from Calabria that melts when heated and enriches every dish. Or as cookbook author Vanja van der Leeden aptly puts it: ‘With ‘nduja, it’s easy to score points, because even a turd tastes good with this spicy sausage from Calabria.’ A tip right away, by the way: Vanja’s recipe for a pizzetta with ’nduja.
Something to compare ‘nduja to? Sobrasada comes closest: the ‘spreadable’ chorizo from Mallorca. ‘Nduja used to be made from the leftover parts of a pig (such as offal), lots of fat and the typical Calabrian peppers. That leftover meat has been replaced by finely minced cheek, belly and other parts of the pig. And of course, the fat and peppers are still there. The latter also gives it its characteristic red color.
How do you eat ‘nduja?
‘Nduja is smoked and dried, and you can eat it both cold and hot. It’s incredibly delicious on ciabatta, especially when it comes out of the toaster or the bread has been under the grill. ‘Nduja is also a fantastic pizza topping, and when it’s combined with a soft Italian cheese such as ricotta, mozzarella, burrata or stracciatella… oh boy. Another brilliant combination: mussels with ‘nduja, as Sergio Herman makes them (and here’s the recipe for Sergio’s mussels with spicy sausage).
‘Nduja eggs
My former colleague Renée used ‘nduja as an alternative to anchovies; a heaped tablespoon as the base for your fresh tomato sauce is a great idea. Once it’s in the pan, the spread transforms into a spicy oil in which you can fry all your other ingredients. I personally love frying my eggs in this spicy oil—the thought of it is already making my mouth water as I write this.
Buying ‘nduja in the supermarket
Both Jumbo and Albert Heijn sell a jar of Delizie di Calabria ‘Nduja for just over 5 euros. My tip for your weekend grocery shopping: pick up a jar of ‘nduja and have fun freestyling with it!
Also read:
- Genius: this is what you can use the tab on your sunflower oil bottle for
- Allergens aren’t listed and you have an allergic reaction: what can you do?
- What is gochujang and what can you do with it?
