Mozzarella In Carrozza
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So I’m way liking the new Cooking Channel. And in particular, I’m way liking David Rocco’s show, Dolce Vita. David is Italian, was born in Canada, lives in Florence, Italy, runs marathons, drives an electric vehicle, makes very good food and isn’t too hard on the eyes. The only time I get to watch David is when I’m on the treadmill, which could explain my avid interest in exercising these days :D
Anyhoo, David does cook really, really great food, and this is one of his recent creations. Mozzarella in Carrozza is an appetizer/bar food kind of thing served in many restaurants in Italy (so says David). Carrozza means “carriage” in Italian, so I guess it’s sort of like this is a wondrous vehicle for melting mozzarella cheese. Is it ever! David likes to add a slice of anchovy inside his, but I thought it would be quite delicious to put some roasted red peppers and a little fresh basil in mine. Which one would you vote for? Me too.
What sets these apart from a regular grilled cheese sandwich is that the whole thing gets dipped in an egg/milk mixture and then fried in a little olive oil. A sprinkling of salt is applied while still warm and then this luscious, gooey treat is usually consumed with the adult beverage (s) of your choice.
For those who don’t always like to fry stuff (that would be me too), the second time I made these, I just sprayed a little olive oil on my skillet and cooked them until they were golden brown and the cheese started melting and they were super great.
…sort of like French toast meets grilled cheese, fall in love, and live happily in a state of melted bliss. We like this.
Mozzarella in Carrozza
Recipe adapted from David Rocco
4 servings
Ingredients:
1 pound mozzarella ball, sliced
8 slices toasted bread, crusts removed (I didn’t do this)
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt
Directions
Sandwich a slice of mozzarella between two pieces of bread for each carrozza. For the batter, beat the eggs and milk together in a bowl. Dip the carrozza sandwiches into the batter, turning to make sure they are fully coated.
In a saute pan, heat the extra-virgin olive oil and cook the sandwiches until they are golden brown on each side and the cheese is melted. Add a dash salt to season and serve immediately.
