Name: Fried Mozzarella Skewers
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 5 garlic cloves, chopped; 4 anchovy fillets; 3 tablespoons drained tiny capers; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1/2 cup dry white wine; 3 tablespoons lemon juice; 8 slices firm white bread, crusts removed; 12 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced; All-purpose flour, for dredging; 2 large eggs; 2 tablespoons milk; Vegetable oil, for frying; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley

Image may contain Sandwich Food Bread Human Person Furniture Dining Table Table French Toast and Toast

Fried Mozzarella SkewersHirsheimer and Hamilton

Bastoncini di Mozzarella Fritta
This great, very tasty appetizer could also be turned into a vegetarian meal. The Italian title says it's "Roman," and that is how it has been named on most Italian American menus, but mozzarella and anchovies are a well-known combination in southern Italy. There are mozzarella-and- anchovy fritters; and zucchini flowers are stuffed with mozzarella and anchovies, then fried. In this recipe, the mozzarella is fried between layers of bread, and then topped with a puckery sauce of lemon, capers, and anchovy.

Note:

For extra flavor, I like to tuck a whole anchovy with the sliced mozzarella inside the sandwich. Try it!

Recipe information

Yield
Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

5 garlic cloves, chopped

4 anchovy fillets

3 tablespoons drained tiny capers

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup dry white wine

3 tablespoons lemon juice

8 slices firm white bread, crusts removed

12 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

All-purpose flour, for dredging

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons milk

Vegetable oil, for frying

1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley

Preparation

Step 1
Make the sauce: Pour the olive oil into a large skillet set over medium-high heat. When the olive oil is hot, add the chopped garlic. Cook and stir until garlic is sizzling and fragrant, taking care not to burn it. Add the anchovies and capers, and stir until capers dissolve into the oil. Add the butter and melt it, then pour in the white wine and lemon juice. Bring to a rapid simmer, and cook until reduced by half, about 6 to 7 minutes. Keep warm.
Step 2
Lay four slices of bread on your work surface. Top with the sliced mozzarella, making sure the cheese does not extend over the edges of the bread, trimming to fit if necessary. Top with remaining bread, to make four sandwiches. Seal each sandwich at each corner with a toothpick (four picks per sandwich).
Step 3
Spread flour on a rimmed plate. Beat eggs and milk together in a wide, shallow bowl. Heat about 1/2 inch vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat; oil is ready when a crust of bread sizzles on contact.
Step 4
Dredge sandwiches well in flour, making sure to coat all sides and tap off the excess. Soak the sandwiches on all sides in the egg, letting the excess egg drip back into the bowl. Carefully ease the sandwiches into the oil, and fry until they're golden brown on both sides and the cheese is melted, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove the sandwiches, and drain well on paper towels. Remove the toothpicks and use a serrated knife to cut them in half on the diagonal.
Step 5
Return the sauce to a simmer, and stir in the parsley. Spread the sauce on four serving plates, then top with a sandwich and serve hot.

Cover of the cookbook featuring the author with a table full of fresh herbs and vegetables.

Reprinted with permission from Lidia's Italy in America by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali. Copyright © 2011 by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali. Excerpted by permission of Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. Buy the full book from Amazon or Bookshop.