Mozzarella in Carozza

This is Italian food before Tuscan rustic chic. The 'in carrozza' translates as 'in a carriage' and doesn't really explain what this golden-crusted fried mozzarella sandwich is about, just gives an indication that the milky cheese is somehow contained. What you should know if you've never tried it (apart from the fact that it is one of the easiest, most gratifying, freshly made TV dinners imaginable) is that it is somewhere between eggy bread, cheese on toast and fried slice. For children this can be a quick, hot filler snack when they get back from school & can be made like  a pizza sandwich also.

Ingredients:

• 6 slices white / brown bread (crusts removed)
• 1 ball (approx. 125g / 4oz) mozzarella (cut into approx ½cm / one-eighth inch slices then strips)
• 125 ml full fat milk
• 3 heaped tablespoons plain flour
• 1 large egg
• salt
• pepper
• olive oil (not extra virgin) for frying

Method:

Make sandwiches out of the bread and mozzarella, leaving a little margin around the edges unfilled with cheese, and press the edges together with your fingers to help seal. Pour the milk into one soup bowl, the flour into another, and beat the egg with salt and pepper in another. Warm the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Dunk the sandwiches briefly, one by one, in the milk, then dredge in the flour, then dip in the beaten egg. Fry in hot oil on each side till crisp and gold and remove to a kitchen towel. Cut in half to find all that gooey cheesey goodness hidden inside & and apply to face.

Mommy’s Tip: In case you want to make this like a pizza sandwich, smear a bit of tomato sauce inside the bread with the cheese.