This pimped up Italian version of the grilled cheese sandwich is a classic dish from Naples called mozzarella in carrozza. As with anything deep-fried, this baby will have everyone’s taste buds going crazy. Usually made with stale bread, you can also use simple toast or fresh crusty bread as well. While some prefer to remove the crust, keeping it will give you extra crunchiness. With a fried golden-crust and melting mozzarella centre, this heavenly sandwich is considered one of Italy’s tastiest snacks, although in Naples, mozzarella in carrozza is served as a main dish.

Ingredients (Serves 2-4 people)

• 4 slices of crusty bread or 8 slices of toast bread
• 250g of mozzarella, drained from excess water
• 2-3 eggs
• breadcrumbs (as needed)
• salt
• flour
• 50g grated Parmesan
• 1.5l vegetable oil

Preparation

Cut the mozzarella into slices and pat them dry with paper towels to remove the whey. Break the eggs into a bowl, season with salt and Parmesan and whisk with a fork. Prepare a bowl with breadcrumbs and another with flour.

Arrange the slices of bread on a cutting board, remove the crust (optional) and place the mozzarella evenly on half of the slices. Cover with the other bread slices, taking care to press with your hands to compact the sandwich.

Dip the stuffed slices first in the flour, including the sides (to better seal the mozzarella in carrozza), then in the beaten egg and finally in the breadcrumbs. If you want, you can coat the stuffed slices again to obtain a more uniform breading. Once done, let your breaded mozzarella rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes so the breadcrumbs stick properly to the mozzarella in carrozza. This will ensure more optimal frying.

Fry on medium heat to make sure the mozzarella melts all the way to the middle without burning the breading. Make sure to turn the stuffed bread a few times until both sides get nice and golden (about 5 to 8 minutes). Dab them with paper towels to remove excess oil.

Plate and enjoy while hot.