Hasselback Apricot Salami

This sticky, sweet baked salami is simultaneously tender and crispy, making it one of my absolute favorite meat dishes for Shabbat. The kosher beef salami is shaped like an accordion, or a Hasselback potato, so that the fanned-out outermost edges get a nice char on them while the middle stays mouthwateringly juicy. Depending on how elaborate I want the meal to be, I’ll tailor the amount of meat to serve it as an appetizer or a main course (double the entire recipe if you’re serving it as a main course)- it works great in both contexts! The recipe is an adaptation of a family recipe from my mom’s side, but I added a touch of Dijon mustard to the marinade for a welcome kick to balance out the sweetness of the apricot brandy and apricot jam. The dipping sauce that accompanies the salami is similar to the marinade, but I’ve added whole grain Dijon mustard in addition to the smooth Dijon mustard to add a little bit of texture.

On warm summer days, I actually prefer to cook it on the grill- still in a cast iron pan- to drastically cut down the cooking time (about 5-7 minutes, flip, then another 5 minutes, baste, and serve!) and to spend as much time as possible outside on warm summer evenings. The salami keeps great in the fridge and heats up nicely as leftovers, but let’s be honest- there won’t be any.

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Separate your wooden chopsticks and lay them flat on a cutting board parallel to each other with about a 1-2″ distance between them. This little hack will ensure that you don’t cut too far down when slicing your salami. Place your salami between the chopsticks.

The thickness of your slices will correspond with how crispy you want the ends to be- for crispier, darker ends, slice the salami very thinly, and for thicker, juicier ends, cut them thicker (I have provided examples of both ways). The end slices will be the trickiest, and you have to make sure not to slice all the way down- the chopsticks won’t help you with the ends- you just have to be very careful and go slowly. After about 2-3 slices, you should be find to slice all the way down to the chopsticks. When you are about ¾ of the way finished slicing the salami, rotate it and continue to slice it until you’re finished. Repeat with the other salami.

This is what you want to aim for if you think you’ll prefer thicker slices

This is how I like my salami- sliced thinly

In a small mixing bowl, combine the ingredients for the marinade and whisk together. There will be a few apricot lumps, which is okay.

Pour the marinade into a medium-sized cast iron skillet and gently place the salamis into the skillet, being careful not to break the bottom part that’s keeping the slices together. I find that it’s easiest to do this by firmly pressing all of the slices together and holding it as a whole with both hands when transporting it.

Brush the marinade between each slice and then spoon more marinade over the entire top of the salami. Cover with foil and marinate for 30 minutes. Flip the salamis, cover again, and marinate for another 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 400°F. In a small saucepan, combine the ingredients for the dipping sauce and whisk together. Cook at medium heat until boiling. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Once the oven is at temperature, put the salamis in and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, generously baste the juices, and return to cook for another 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven, flip the salamis, baste them, and them return to the oven for another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and baste the tops of the salamis. Turn your oven onto broil. Broil the salamis for 15-20 minutes, or until they have reached your desired level of char on the tips of the slices. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes.

Decant the dipping sauce into one or several small dipping bowls for serving, depending on your desired presentation. Serve the salamis hot with the dipping sauce on the side.