Grilled Panino
In Italian, a panino is just any old sandwich, but in this country we’ve come to think of it as a pressed grilled sandwich, which is fine by me, because it’s hard to go wrong with that. Lots of us have panini grills on our counters these days, so why not make use of them. With the right bread and cheese, almost anything else you include will be stellar. A large round Italian loaf with lots of holes for the cheese to melt though and get crusty makes a good crisp shell for your flavorful ingredients. Bresaola – cured beef – is a nice change from prosciutto, and sauteed mushrooms will prove that you’ve actually cooked something.
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 20 minutes
SERVINGS: Makes 4 panini
INGREDIENTS
1 pound mixed wild mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
8 slices peasant bread
4 ounces bresaola (cured beef) or prosciutto
8 ounces fontina cheese, sliced by hand
PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 300°.
Heat large skillet over high heat. Add olive oil. Add mushrooms and sauté until golden, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Heat a grill pan or panini maker over high heat. Top each of 4 slices of bread with: 1 ounce bresaola, 1/4 of the cooked mushrooms, and 2 ounces fontina. Top with the remaining slices of bread.
Grill each side of one sandwich until toasty and crisp. Place on a sheet pan and hold in the warm oven to continue melting while grilling the rest.