Delve into the delicious world of 'Mozzarella in Carrozza,' a beloved comfort food hailing from Italy's Campania region. This golden-fried, cheese-filled treat is Italy's answer to the French Croque Monsieur!
1 deep fryer optional, but much easier for frying these sandwiches!
Ingredients
12slicescrustless white breador"tramezzini" bread;
18ozmozzarella cheesebuffalo, fior di latte or dry shreddable, mozzarella
¾cupflourall purpose is fine; as needed for coating the sandwiches
5wholeeggsbeaten; use more if needed for coating the sandwiches
3cupsbread crumbsor as needed for coating the sandwiches
4cupsfrying oilpeanut or another oil with a high smoke point
Instructions
Prepare the Ingredients
If using fresh mozzarella, remove any excess water from the mozzarella slices. To do this, put the mozzarella in a colander with a weight on top, or sandwich them between paper towels.
Create the work station for coating the sandwiches: Beat the eggs in a shallow dish. Add flour to a shallow dish. Add bread crumbs to another shallow dish.
Assemble the Mozzarella in Carrozza Sandwiches
Put slices of mozzarella on top of one slice of bread. Add any other fillings you desire. Salt to taste (just a pinch). None of the fillings should extend beyond the bread.Top with another slice of bread. Press the sandwich together and make sure sides are even.
Cut the sandwich into 2 or 4 triangles or 4 squares. Set the sandwich aside and finish making the rest of the sandwiches with the bread and mozzarella.
First Coating
Coat each sandwich with flour—coating the edges first, then the top and bottom. Shake off any excess flour and set the sandwiches aside. Repeat with the rest of the sandwiches.
Dip each sandwich into the egg wash, edges first, then coat the top and bottom. Use FORKS to flip the sandwich in the egg and to transfer the sandwich to a plate to rest. Using the forks to flip keeps the surfaces of the Mozzarella in Carrozza neat :) Repeat with all of the sandwiches.
Now, coat each sandwich with bread crumbs—coating the edges first, then the tops and bottoms of the sandwiches. Again, use the forks to flip and transfer.Transfer each sandwich to parchment paper to rest.
1st Rest (30 Minutes)
Let the sandwiches rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. This is an important step—don't skip it :)
Second Coating
Repeat entire process again to create a second coating on the sandwiches: flour, egg, and finally breadcrumbs.Be sure that the edges of the sandwiches remain even. Even sandwiches are the key to preventing the cheese from leaking during the fry!
2nd Rest (30 Minutes)
Let the sandwiches rest in the refrigerator for a final 30 minutes.
Fry the Mozzarella in Carrozza Sandwiches
Fry the sandwiches in oil no hotter than 350℉ (170-180° C) for 1-2 minutes.Fry a few sandwiches at a time, turning them occasionally. Transfer the fried sandwiches to paper towels to soak up any excess oil, then serve!
Notes
Prefer a gooey filling?Though fresh mozzarella is technically traditional here, it will not produce that gooey, cheesy filling that many crave.For a gooey interior, you will need to use a drier mozzarella—so-called 'pizza' mozzarella in Italy. Any mozzarella that can be shredded is a good choice. We highly recommend staying away from the rubbery mozzarella cheeses often sold abroad. Even shreddable 'pizza' mozzarella in Italy does not have a rubbery consistency. Instead, it is more like a dry provolone.Prevent Leaks? Make Neat SandwichesIf your filling is within the borders of the bread, and the edges of your bread are lined up during the coating stages, it's unlikely that filling will leak out during frying. So take the extra moment to make sure your sandwiches are neat!