Mozzarella in Carrozza
(moht-tsah-REL-lah een kar-ROHT-tsah)
La Merenda: The 4:00 PM After-School Ritual
If you think fried mozzarella means those breaded, deep-fried sticks drowning in marinara at your local sports bar, you’ve been sold a Hollywood fiction. The real deal—the brilliant, resourceful Neapolitan peasant food that grandmothers throw together for ravenous kids at four in the afternoon—is Mozzarella in Carrozza. It’s nothing more than stale bread and day-old cheese, sealed fiercely with just flour and egg, then shallow-fried until it puffs into savory French toast. When you pull it apart, the molten cheese stretches out like the reins of a horse-drawn carriage. It demands fifteen minutes of your time, zero breadcrumbs, and absolutely no dipping sauce.
Before you start
Manage your cheese moisture.
Fresh mozzarella is full of water, which creates steam and causes the sandwich to literally explode in the hot oil. If you insist on using fresh fior di latte instead of the block mozzarella, you must slice it, press it firmly between paper towels, and let it dry out in the fridge for a few hours.
Ingredients
- high-quality white sandwich bread8 slices
- low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella cheese8 oz
- all-purpose flour1/2 cup
- large eggs3 large
- milk1/4 cup
- kosher salt1/2 tsp
- black pepper1/4 tsp
- peanut, canola, or vegetable oil1 cup
Method
- 01
Assemble the carriages.
Lay the mozzarella slices on four pieces of bread, leaving a 1/4-inch border around the edges so the cheese doesn't spill out, then top with the remaining bread.
- 02
Compress and cut the sandwiches.
Using the flat palm of your hand, press down firmly on each sandwich to compress it and gently pinch the edges, then cut each diagonally to form two triangles.
- 03
Set up your dipping station.
Place the flour in a wide, shallow dish, and in a separate bowl, beat the eggs, milk, salt, and black pepper vigorously with a fork until completely smooth and frothy.
- 04
Seal the bread with flour.
Dip each triangle into the flour, lightly coating the top and bottom, but pay special attention to patting the floured edges gently so the flour acts as a dry glue to trap the cheese.
- 05
Bring the oil to temperature.
In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, heat about a half-inch of oil over medium heat until it reaches 350°F, or until a tiny pinch of flour immediately sizzles and dances when dropped in.
- 06
Soak the sandwiches in the egg wash.
Working with just two or three triangles at a time so you don't crowd the pan, dip the floured sandwiches into the beaten egg, letting them sit for just a few seconds on each side so the stale bread absorbs the custard.
- 07
Fry to a golden perfection.
Lift the sandwich out, let the excess egg drip off, carefully lower it into the hot oil, and fry for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until you achieve a deep, golden-brown, puffy crust.
- 08
Drain, salt, and serve immediately.
Move the hot sandwiches to a wire rack or a plate lined with paper towels, sprinkle immediately with a tiny pinch of kosher salt, and eat them right away before the magic fades.
Notes
Respect the flour seal.
Because we aren't using a heavy breadcrumb crust, the flour and egg on the edges of the bread mix to form a rapid-setting matrix when it hits the hot oil, creating an impermeable barrier that keeps your cheese inside the sandwich where it belongs.
Skip the marinara sauce.
If you want to heat up some marinara for dipping, your secret is safe with me, but try it the Italian way first—the flavor of the golden, egg-soaked bread and the rich cheese is so perfect it doesn't need to hide behind tomato sauce.
From Cook Italian in America.