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Holiday Brunch: Mozzarella in Carozza

Posted by Ed Levine, December 29, 2007 at 9:36 AM

In honor of the superlong holiday weekend and the multiple brunch possibilities contained therein I am going to post the Serious Eats Sunday Brunch recipe suggestion today. I'm a grilled cheese fanatic for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner, so when I came across this Mario Batali recipe for an Italian-style grilled cheese sandwich, Mozzarella in Carozza, I knew what I was going to be making for Will and Vicky sometime this weekend.

Mozzarella in Carozza

Adapted from Holiday Food by Mario Batali.

- makes 4 to 8 servings -

Ingredients

8 slices American-style sandwich bread, crusts removed
1 pound fresh mozzarella di bufala, cut into four 3-by4-inch slices
4 eggs plus 3 yolks
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Procedure

1. Top each of 4 slices of bread with a piece of mozzarella. Cover with the 4 remaining slices of bread to form sandwiches. Trim the bread to within 1/4 inch of the cheese and set aside.

2. In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk the eggs and the yolks together. Add the milk, thyme, and salt and mix until well blended. Dip the sandwiches into the mixture one by one to coat, and set aside.

3. In a 12- to 14-inch nonstick saute pan, head 1 tablespoon of the olive oil until smoking. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter cook over medium-high heat until the sizzling subsides. Place 2 sandwiches in the pan and cook slowly until golden brown on the first side, about 2 minutes. Flip each sandwich and cook on the other side for 2 more minutes. Remove sandwiches and set aside in a warm oven. Repeat the process with the remaining oil, butter, and sandwiches. Serve immediately.

4 Comments | Tags: eggs, grilled cheese sandwich, Mario Batali, mozzarella

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