Mozzarella in Carrozza (Italian Deep-Fried Cheese Sandwich)

Introducing... the classiest deep-fried cheese sandwich you ever did see.

0 prep

30 minutes cook

Serves 1

Nell Carter

Ingredients

mozzarella in carrozza:

2slices white bread, crusts trimmed

80gmozzarella (low-moisture or well-drained fresh mozzarella)

1egg

30gpanko

salt & pepper

olive oil (for frying)

puttanesca sauce:

2 tbspolive oil

2garlic cloves, crushed

3-4anchovy fillets, chopped

1 tbspcapers

7black olives, halved

1 tbsptomato purée

200gtinned tomatoes

salt & pepper

fresh parsley to serve

A crisp and golden deep-fried mozzarella sandwich served on a bed of rich, punchy puttanesca sauce. It's essentially an Italian grilled cheese, yet also, somehow, chic enough to serve to your friends at dinner and feel like a culinary queen.

Method

Start by prepping your puttanesca sauce. Heat olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Add your garlic and cook gently until fragrant, then stir in your anchovy, capers, olives and tomato purée. Cook for 1 min.

Add chopped tomatoes tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.

Simmer for 15–20 minutes until thickened. Keep warm.

Next, prepare the mozzarella in carrozza. Sandwich the mozzarella between two slices of bread, then use a fork to seal the edges.

In a shallow bowl, whisk egg, salt and pepper. On another plate, pour out panko breadcrumbs.

Submerge the sandwich into the egg mixture, making sure it's coated on both sides, then press firmly into panko to coat all over, including the edges.

Heat a frying pan with a thin layer of oil. Once the surface is shimmering, carefully lower the sandwich into the pan and shallow fry over a medium heat for ~2–3 mins each side golden and crisp.

To serve, spoon the puttanesca sauce onto a plate and lay your mozzarella in carrozza on top. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Cut down the middle and pull apart with your knife and fork to treat your guests (or yourself, no judgement) to that gorgeous cheese pull action. Swiftly demolish.