Mozzarella in Carriages
This is a tasty little treat that will impress your family or guests, or even just yourself. Like most Italian cooking, this recipe makes simple use of good ingredients that go well together. If you want a variation on grilled cheese sandwiches, this is the way to go. Also, because it is fried, you can use stale bread — great way to use it up before it goes totally bad! You will find that stale bread will handle better during the soaking stage, too.
In a shallw dish, mix 4 beaten eggs and about half a cup of milk or so.
Cut 8 slices of bread in half to make triangles. On one half of the triangles, lay a slice of mozzarella cheese, a basil leaf, and any other tasty little tidbits you want. Chopped olives and anchovies are classic options back in Italy. You might try thinly-sliced pancetta, but I would warn you against anything too chewy, as these will fall apart easily if you cannot bite cleanly through. Remember to salt and pepper to taste.
Put the remaining bread triangles on top, and press down around the edges to make as much of a seal as you can. Don’t worry if they don’t completely seal; that’s what the egg and milk combination is for. Lay the triangles in the egg wash to soak for about 5 minutes. If the liquid is shallow, you might need to flip the triangles over for a bit to finish soaking. Be careful, as they are very fragile at this stage.
While the sandwiches are soaking, heat about an inch of oil in a pan to frying temperature, which is betweem 350 and 375 degrees Fahrenheit. If you do not have a thermometer, you can test the oil by dropping in a small chunk of bread. If it browns in about 30 seconds, you are at the perfect temperature.
Carefully place the sandwiches in the oil, and fry for about 2 minutes or so, making sure to flip it to get both sides done. When they are golden brown, remove to a plate covered in paper towel, and sprinkle with a bit of salt. This is a very important step to remember when deep frying foods: salt them immediately upon removal from the oil, and you will get the best flavor result! Unless, of course, you are frying donuts or something else sweet!
Yours in Good Taste,
Erik Christensen