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Mozzarella in a carriage (Mozzarella in carrozza) | Special Recipes

Mozzarella in a carriage (Mozzarella in carrozza)

Mozzarella in carrozza (translated: mozzarella in a carriage) is a recipe that comes from the South of the country. It is a slice of mozzarella, sandwiched in between two bread slices and then fried. Usually is eaten as a snack or light lunch and it is very simple to prepare. It is important you use top quality ingredients when making it otherwise it will be no more than a tasteless fried sandwich! 
Note: speaking about bread, in Italy, for practical reasons, it is quite common to use "pan carre`". This is a readily available soft white bread you can buy in any bakery or supermarket and it is usually sold already sliced.However, considering that the recipe comes from southern Italy, the tradition there is to use a more rustic bread like "pane pugliese", alternatively you can try "pane toscano" or any equivalent country bread especially something homemade.It is not necessary to have fresh bread; in the past people did not waste anything and the use of stale bread in recipes was a common practice. The loaf of bread in the picture above is one I had made with my bread machine and it is a couple of days old.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4
Calories 650 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 8 Slices of bread about 8-10 mm thick
  • 1 Buffalo mozzarella ball (with one ball you will make 4 slices)
  • 3 Eggs
  • 30 ml (2 tbs) Milk
  • 4 Anchovy fillets (alternatively 4 little slices of cooked ham)
  • Salt and ground white pepper for seasoning
  • Light olive oil for frying (do not use sunflower oil!)

Instructions
 

  • Cut the slices of bread. You need 8 slices to serve 4 persons.
    Mozzarella in a carriage (Mozzarella in carrozza) | Special Recipes
  • Pair the slices putting one on top of another and trim the edges to get rid of the crust. Also, the two slices must match in size.
    Mozzarella in a carriage (Mozzarella in carrozza) | Special Recipes
  • Cut the mozzarella ball into 4 slices like this.
    Mozzarella in a carriage (Mozzarella in carrozza) | Special Recipes
  • Pat dry the mozzarella slices using kitchen paper.
    Mozzarella in a carriage (Mozzarella in carrozza) | Special Recipes
  • Fill the pan with olive oil and start heating the oil.
    Mozzarella in a carriage (Mozzarella in carrozza) | Special Recipes
  • While the oil is getting hot, put the eggs in a large bowl and season with salt.
    Mozzarella in a carriage (Mozzarella in carrozza) | Special Recipes
  • Season with pepper.
    Mozzarella in a carriage (Mozzarella in carrozza) | Special Recipes
  • Stir with a fork for a few seconds.
    Mozzarella in a carriage (Mozzarella in carrozza) | Special Recipes
  • Add the milk.
    Mozzarella in a carriage (Mozzarella in carrozza) | Special Recipes
  • Stir again for a few seconds.
    Mozzarella in a carriage (Mozzarella in carrozza) | Special Recipes
  • Take two slices of bread and top one slice with mozzarella. The slice of mozzarella has to be smaller than the slice of bread so that the two slices of bread can be joined and encase the mozzarella.
    Mozzarella in a carriage (Mozzarella in carrozza) | Special Recipes
  • Put one anchovy fillet onto the slice of mozzarella. The anchovy will give the mozzarella in carrozza a nice and delicate flavour (if you are concern about fish bones, you can use anchovy paste instead). Another option, if you do not like anchivies, is to top the mozzarella with a little square of cooked ham.
    Mozzarella in a carriage (Mozzarella in carrozza) | Special Recipes
  • Cover with the second slice of bread.
    Mozzarella in a carriage (Mozzarella in carrozza) | Special Recipes
  • Press the sandwich down so that the two slices of bread join together, especially around the side edges.
    Mozzarella in a carriage (Mozzarella in carrozza) | Special Recipes
  • Now, take the sandwich and holding the two bread slices firmly together (it is easier to do this using both your hands), dip each side edge for a fraction of a second into cold water.
    Mozzarella in a carriage (Mozzarella in carrozza) | Special Recipes
  • Then, dip the wet side edge into the flour. This will create a sort of glue that will help to seal the sandwich during the frying stage.
    Mozzarella in a carriage (Mozzarella in carrozza) | Special Recipes
  • Here I am checking the oil temperature. I usually start frying when it reaches 160ºC (320ºF).
    Mozzarella in a carriage (Mozzarella in carrozza) | Special Recipes
  • When the oil has reached the right temperature for frying, dip the whole sandwich (on both sides) into the egg wash. It will be a bit messy but do not worry too much about it!
    Mozzarella in a carriage (Mozzarella in carrozza) | Special Recipes
  • The sandwich is ready for frying.
    Mozzarella in a carriage (Mozzarella in carrozza) | Special Recipes
  • Put the sandwich into the pan (you can use a wooden spatula to slide the sandwich down into the pan) and fry for about 2 minutes or until golden brown.
    Mozzarella in a carriage (Mozzarella in carrozza) | Special Recipes
  • Then, using a wooden spatula, turn the sandwich onto the other side and fry for another 2 minutes.
    Mozzarella in a carriage (Mozzarella in carrozza) | Special Recipes
  • Now, it looks ready, so take it out and lay the mozzarella in carrozza onto a kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil.
    Mozzarella in a carriage (Mozzarella in carrozza) | Special Recipes
  • Next, put a few lettuce leaves on the plate and top them with the mozzarella in carrozza.
    Mozzarella in a carriage (Mozzarella in carrozza) | Special Recipes

Notes

Buon appetito!
Federico Pezzaioli

Nutrition

Calories: 650kcal
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