POTS AND PANS CITY BLOG

There is no doubt that a grilled panini is the ultimate in gourmet sandwiches. This recipe calls for grilling the vegetables before grilling the sandwich, which makes it extra-special. The sweetness brought out by grilling the vegetables beforehand is heightened by the crunch of the bread when the put-together sandwich is toasted on the grill.

Ingredients:

• 1 sweet red pepper
• 1 medium zucchini
• 1 medium-large eggplant
• 3 TBSP. olive oil
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• ½ tsp. paprika
• 1 TBSP. dried basil
• 1 TBSP. balsamic vinegar
• 1 thin French baguette
• 3 cups mozzarella cheese slices

Cut the red pepper in half and remove the stem and seeds. Brush the pepper with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on a hot grill and cook until skin is blackened. Remove from grill and place the pepper halves in a plastic bag and seal. When cool enough, remove the pepper halves from the bag and slip off the charred skin. Slice the meat of the pepper into slices. Set aside.

Cut the zucchini and eggplant into long thin slices, about ½ “ thick. Brush the vegetables with a little olive oil and season them with salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder. Grill over medium heat for 5 minutes on each side using your grill, B-B-Q or oven grill,. Set aside to cool.

Slice the baguette in half lengthwise. Bush the open sides with a little more of the olive oil. Place the bread soft side down on the grill and let toast for about a minute.

Remove the baguette and start assembling the sandwich. Mix together the remaining olive oil, the vinegar and the dried basil. Alternate layers of vegetables and cheese. Spoon this mixture over top of the last layer of vegetables, and then add the last layer of cheese.

At this stage you can eat the panini as is, or return it to the grill to warm it up again and melt the cheese a little. If you have a panini press or sandwich press, grilling the outside of the panini gives it that extra crunch.

Cut the panini into serving pieces. Enjoy!

A panini isn’t just a sandwich. A panini is a delicious, mouth-watering toasted or grilled sandwich with a variety of fillings that has become a culinary delight. Of course, the panini is a sandwich that originated in Italy, derived from the word ‘panino’ (which in Italian means small bread roll), with the plural being panini. In the English speaking world the term panini is used in the singular sense to describe this certain type of sandwich.

Traditionally the panini is made from a small bun or loaf of bread, typically a ciabatta or rosetta bread. Ciabatta bread, made with wheat flour and yeast, is an elongated, broad flattish loaf of bread that is somewhat collapsed in the middle—like a slipper. (Ciabatta when translated from Italian means literally carpet slipper). Rosetta bread is a small loaf that has slashes cut into it to create ‘petals’ and has a centre coil of bread that represents the centre of the ‘rose’. Sometimes rosetta bread is sprinkled with poppy seeds (giving an added taste dimension when made into a panini sandwich). Both breads are yummy-delicious when grilled or toasted.

When creating a panini sandwich masterpiece, the bread load is cut in half horizontally and filled with different types of fillings, depending on what type of sandwich is to be created. It can be filled with a variety of different meats, cheeses or other foods to create different taste sensations. The panini is then toasted, grilled in the oven or grill-pressed in a panini press. The panini is usually served hot.

A typical Italian panini consists of the two cut halves of the bread loaf filled almost invariably with prosciutto (a type of very tasty Italian ham) and a few slices of cheese, grilled in a sandwich press. Central Italy boasts a panini filled with porchetta (a popular Italian roast pork) that is very popular. The traditional Italian panini does not have sauce or toppings on it, although in other parts of the world this is added to appeal to local tastes.

The Paninaro, or the panini shop, started to become popular in Italy in the 1980’s. It was popular with the younger, teenage culture and appealed to their ‘fast food’ tastes. The young people would meet in the paninaro and eat panini’s, just like in the coffee shops of today. They became the ‘place to go’ and were adopted as the young crowd’s status symbol meeting places. Panini shops then entered the European markets and broadened their scope into the United States in the 1990’s. Now panini’s and panini shops are widely popular the world over.

One of the great things about the panini is that it doesn’t have to come from a panini shop to be enjoyed by everyone. Homemade panini’s are just as good as the ones you can get at your local panini shop. In fact, homemade ones might be even better because you can pick and choose your own fresh ingredients and design your panini sandwich just the way you like.

Add different sliced meats and your favorite cheese, along with some other food ingredients (like tomatoes, onion, peppers, etc.) and you can have a fantastic panini geared to your own tastes. Try different food combinations to make the panini just what you want it to be. Then, all you need to do is grill it on a sandwich press or panini grill and you can have the best panini you can ever hope to imagine. The toasting or grilling of the panini really does give the sandwich that extra flavor boost that makes the panini a wonderful thing. And, having a sandwich press or panini grill on hand at home makes it easy to make those flavorful sandwiches any time you get the craving.

Just a bit about buying a panini grill: There are a number of different companies that offer them. They are sometimes advertised as a panini grill, a sandwich press or even a panini press. They typically have a non-stick grilling surface that has ridges in it (to get those professional grill marks) and are usually double hinged and adjustable so that you can make open faced grilled sandwiches or double-grilled sandwiches with the top lid folded down. Most of the good ones have removable grills that are dishwasher safe to make clean-up easy.

Panini’s make a great tasting meal, whether it’s for lunch or dinner. You can go out and enjoy a panini at your favorite local deli or panini shop, or they are easy to make at home as well. Panini’s can be suited to any individual’s tastes just by varying the ingredients. Panini’s are a fresh, tasty, easy way to provide your family with a great meal. Why not try having a panini for your meal today!