Fried Mozzarella Sandwich
Mozzarella in carrozza, which means carriage in Italian, is the ultimate cheesy sandwich with soft, gooey mozzarella nestled between egg-battered bread that’s fried until golden and crispy. In this recipe, I blend anchovies with herbs, lemon, capers, and butter for a salty, savory spread that helps cut the richness of the cheese. I love to whip these easy sandwiches up for a special after-school snack, or a weeknight dinner accompanied by a big salad.
Mozzarella in Carrozza
Ingredients
Batter
- 2 egg yolks
- 3 beaten egg whites
- 1 cup flour
- Ice water to loosen
Sandwiches
- 12 slices white sandwich bread
- 20 ounces (about 24 thin slices) whole milk ‘mozzarella di buffala’
- 4 tablespoons salt-packed capers, rinsed
- 8 anchovies
- 2 small shallots
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons butter, softened
- 4 tablespoons minced parsley
- Salt and pepper
- About 2 cups of olive oil for frying
Instructions
To make the batter, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Combine egg whites, yolks and flour in a large mixing bowl. Loosen with water to a thin batter, you’ll need about 1 cup. Reserve batter.
In a food processor, combine the capers, anchovies, shallots, garlic, lemon, butter and parsley. Puree to a paste.
Spread the butter mixture across 6 pieces of the bread. Pat dry the mozzarella slices and divide on top of the butter mixture.
Season with salt and pepper, and top with the remaining bread slices.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat (you’ll want it about 1/2 inch deep in your skillet). Dip the sandwiches in the batter one at a time. Fry in the olive oil until golden and crispy, about 4 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and serve hot with lemon wedges.
Photograph by Madeleine Hill.
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