Panini

Hot sandwiches or similar dishes are made in almost all countries, but everywhere they take on a unique look. Some options are a filling, wrapped in a cake or placed between its layers. Others resemble a mini pizza. Sandwiches can be closed and open, sometimes their name depends on the filling (cheeseburger, hot dog). Italians cook panini. These are the kind of sandwiches that are fried under pressure. The basis is usually ciabatta, focaccia or similar Italian bread, but it can be replaced with an ordinary loaf. The possibility of combining different products for the preparation of the filling allows you to make panini with different tastes. Some of them are able to replace breakfast or snack, others can be served with tea or coffee as a dessert. All these sandwiches can be cooked in a regular kitchen, even if there is no special press for paninis in the house.

Cooking Features

To prepare delicious panini at home, you need to know a few subtleties.

Panini bread is not sliced too thinly. Some Italians prefer to cut it not across, but along. If you use a bun cut in half for cooking panini and plan to cook it in the oven or in a pan, it is recommended to put the pieces with the convex side inwards so that sandwiches do not roll on the pan and roast evenly.
Most often, cheese is added to panini, which sticks together both parts of bread, turning panini into a single whole, but there are recipes that do not involve the use of this ingredient.
For juiciness, greens and vegetables can be added to the filling, but there should not be too many of them, otherwise the bread will be sodden. This also applies to the addition of sauce.
Before assembling the sandwich, bread slices are coated on the inside with a thin layer of olive oil. It is convenient to do this with the help of a culinary brush.
The most convenient way is to make panini in an electric sandwich maker. In her sandwiches are obtained and more appetizing, since the inside of the sandwich maker has a corrugated surface. In the culinary shops you can even purchase a special panini press. But it is worth doing it only if you cook Italian sandwiches often.
If a sandwich maker is used to make panini, it is recommended to preheat it. Panini will fry in it on both sides at once, so you do not need to turn them over during cooking.
Remove the panini carefully from the device, as its internal surface is very hot. Do not use a knife to avoid scratching the coating of the heating panels of the sandwich maker.
In the absence of a special panini pan frying device, sandwiches can be pressed with a cast-iron pan, a pan of water, or brick-wrapped foil.

When cooking paninis, you can show imagination by choosing different types of bread and cheese, changing the composition of the filling, adding different sauces and seasonings. Each time this dish can be unique.

Panini with cheese and ham

Composition:

ciabatta - 100 g;
cheese - 40 g;
ham - 40 g;
fresh basil - 4 leaves;
ground paprika - to taste;
olive oil - as needed.

Method of preparation:

Cut the Italian loaf in half so that you get two flat pieces of bread. If you have large ciabatta, you can cut it across the pieces with a thickness of 1-1, 5 cm.
Slice ham and cheese into thin slices.
Smear bread on both sides with olive oil.
On one piece of ciabatta, lay the ham, sprinkle it with paprika, spread the leaves of basil on top.
Place slices of cheese on top. Cover with a second piece of bread.
Preheat the grill pan.
Put a sandwich on it, cover it with a sheet of parchment, set the load on the top in the form of a heavy frying pan or a pan filled with water.
After 2 minutes, disassemble the structure, turn the sandwich over, flatten it again with a load. Continue frying for another 2-3 minutes until the cheese is melted.

If the sandwich seemed too large for you, you can cut it across into two approximately equal parts before serving. This panini recipe is considered a classic.

Panini “Caprese” with mozzarella and tomatoes

Composition:

Italian oblong bun or baguette - 0, 2 kg;
tomatoes - 100 g;
mozzarella - 100 g;
fresh basil, olive oil - as needed;
salt, spices - to taste.

Method of preparation:

Bread cut into round slices about 1 cm thick.
Slice tomatoes and mozzarella in round pieces.
Smear bread on all sides with olive oil.
Place half a slice of tomato on half a piece of bread.
Sprinkle the tomatoes with salt and spices, cover each slice of tomato with a leaf of basil and a slice of mozzarella.
Spread the remaining bread on top.
Put sandwiches on a pre-warmed sandwich maker, press down.
Start the device. On the readiness will notify the signal. The nature of the signal depends on the manufacturer's settings, usually the light goes out.
Turn off the device, open it, carefully remove the panini from it.

Panini “Caprese” can be fried on a grill pan on the same principle as described in the previous recipe.

Smoked breast panini and tomatoes

Composition:

focaccia - 0, 3 kg;
tomatoes - 0, 2 kg;
smoked chicken breast fillet - 100 g;
hard cheese - 100 g;
lettuce leaves - 4-6 pcs .;
pesto sauce, crushed nuts (optional) - to taste;
olive oil - as needed.

Method of preparation:

Italian cakes cut into triangular or rectangular pieces of approximately the same size. Separate each piece with a knife into two flat parts or use two focaccia to cook panini at once, without cutting them in half.
Cut the tomatoes into circles. This should be done with a special knife with small teeth or simply sharply sharpened so as not to squeeze out the juice from the vegetables.
Separate the smoked chicken breast fillet from the bones, cut into thin slices.
Chop grated cheese.
Coat the focaccia with olive oil.
Place slices of tomatoes on half the pieces, lettuce leaves on them, smoked chicken on top. Brush with chicken sauce, sprinkle with chopped nuts and grated cheese.
Cover the pyramids of bread, chicken, cheese and tomatoes with the remaining pieces of flatbread.
Put sandwiches on a hot grill pan, press them down with any weight, fry for 1-2 minutes.
Carefully turn over, fry on the other side for about the same time.

The taste of panini prepared according to this recipe will depend on the focaccia variation. Best suited tortilla with garlic and basil.

Panini with ham and pear

Composition:

wheat bread - 120 g;
ham - 60 g;
pear - 100 g;
Dijon mustard - 20 ml;
mozzarella - 100 g;
ground black pepper to taste;
melted margarine or butter - 20 ml.

Method of preparation:

Cut the bread into 4 slices of approximately 30 g each.
Smear bread on one side with mustard.
Wash the pear, dry it with a napkin, clean, remove the seed patches. Cut into thin slices.
Cut the ham into thin slices.
Divide the ham in two. Half put on one piece of bread, the rest - on the second. Pepper.
Also lay out the pear pieces.
Crumble mozzarella or cut it into round slices, spread it over two sandwiches.
Cover the pyramids with the remaining bread.
Spread sandwiches with melted margarine or butter, fry in a hot frying pan under a press until golden brown.

Panini made according to this recipe, have an exquisite taste. If you replace Dijon mustard with curry sauce, it will also be delicious.

Panini - press sandwiches roasted under the pressure. The dish belongs to the Italian cuisine, but it is happy to cook and eat in many other countries. These sandwiches and our compatriots fell in love.

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