Pressing matters
We live in a great place for great sandwiches.
We make grilled cheese with the freshest varieties from over the border, we can drive just around the corner for a juicy Italian beef or trek into Chicago for a genuine Maxwell Street Polish sausage.
Now paninis are vying for a place on our tables and in our hearts. These Italian-born sammies have staked out menu space at chains such as Panera Bread Co., local delis including Ala Mode in Villa Park and at fine restaurants such as Osteria di Tramonto in Wheeling.
Chef Rick Tramonto of the aforementioned eatery understands the surge in popularity. He features panini not only at his restaurant but in his new book, "Fanstastico!" (2007 Broadway Books, $35).
"I grew up in sandwich country; growing up was very much about ripping off a great piece of fresh bread and putting something between it," says Tramonto, who grew up in an Italian household in Rochester, N.Y. "Well, now I have three boys at home, and I know they get excited when we make paninis."
About the bread
Panini, or panino, is, simply stated, an Italian roll, biscuit or sandwich. On these shores we often take that definition further, adding "warm" to the descriptor.
But as all good sandwiches do, panino starts with the bread.
Tramonto claims a fondness for ciabatta bread, a variety that's lower in density with residual fats from olive oil that helps it crisp up. The bread also has a low profile, unlike the bread used for, say, an Italian beef sandwich, so the bread doesn't outweigh the fillings.
Besides ciabatta, famed baker Daniel Leader of Bread Alone in New York and author of this year's "Panini Express" (Tauton Press, $18.95), suggests Middle Eastern-style flatbread, focaccia and European hearth breads. He also suggests a pizza-dough-like bread that can be cooked on a panini press. Fluffy bread produced by commercial bakeries doesn't grill well, he adds.
Stuff it
Chefs agree that less is more when it comes to deciding what to put between the bread.
"Let a few high-quality ingredients take center stage," says chef Jonathan Fox, who opened LaMadia in Chicago in October 2007. Fox features minimalist sandwiches such as his prosciutto, pear and parmesan combo or smoked salmon and cucumbers with a chive-and-vodka-infused vinaigrette. Both sandwiches are served cold, reminding us that paninis don't have to be pressed.
"In Italy, there's an appreciation for honoring the flavors of basic foods," Fox says. "We take a simple, straight-forward approach, then mix in more innovative preparations."
Tramonto says he views the bread like a palette awaiting an artist and paint.
"Everyone can make panini; be creative," Tramonto says. He endorses bringing kids into the kitchen to make paninis, setting out a bunch of ingredients and allowing them to build their own sandwiches, like what you might do with a pizza party.
Consider the seasons, he adds: "Walk about the farmers market and these sandwiches come to life."
He also endorses panini for dinner and entertaining.
"This is great finger food; for a couples night with some wine they're great," he says. And unlike planning a multicourse, sit-down gathering, "it's not such a huge time commitment."
Pressing on
Tramonto admits to having a few electric panini presses in his home kitchen. In "Panini Express," too, Leader's recipes are written with the appliance in mind.
Warns Leader: "You get what you pay for." When buying, look for a temperature gauge to control heat, a nonstick surface and an adjustable "floating" lid, which allows the machine to accommodate thick sandwiches. A large surface area is nice if you plan on grilling more than one sandwich.
The editors at Cook's Country magazine, however, say a good-quality grill pan (Simply Calphalon Nonstick 13-inch Round Grill Pan, $39.95, for example) works just fine. In the May 2008 issue, they suggest putting the sandwich in the hot pan and then placing a Dutch oven with its bottom covered in foil (for easy cleanup) on top to squish the sandwich.
Adds LaMadia's Fox, "You want to provide heat all around the sandwich."
You might even have an appliance in your kitchen that can step in for an official panini press: an indoor grill.
"Sure, you can cook them on your George Foreman, absolutely," Tramonto says.
He prefers brushing both the bread and the cooking surface with olive oil or butter (butter for veggie and salmon; olive oil with cured meats) to maximize the bread's crunch.
Fried Eggplant, Caramelized Onion and Provolone Panini
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup fresh or dried bread crumbs
1 pound eggplant, cut into ¼-inch-thick rounds
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
1 pound yellow onions, very thinly sliced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
4 tablespoons (½ stick) salted butter, softened, for brushing
Eight ½-inch-thick slices ciabatta or Italian country-style bread
½ cup tomato sauce
8 slices provolone cheese (about ½ pound)
1-2 teaspoons olive oil
Put the flour in one shallow dish, the beaten eggs in another and the bread crumbs in a third. Dip the eggplant slices in the flour and tap off any excess. Next dip them in the egg and then the bread crumbs until coated on both sides. As each slice is coated, set it on a paper towel-lined platter.
In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering. Add 1 tablespoon unsalted butter and let it melt and foam. When the foam subsides, cook the eggplant slices, turning once, for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until uniformly dark, golden brown. Drain on the paper towel-lined platter and season with salt and pepper while hot.
In the same or another large skillet, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons unsalted butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions, lower the heat to medium-low, and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, for 45-60 minutes, until golden brown and caramelized. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain slow, gentle cooking. Add the thyme and season to taste with salt. Remove the skillet from the heat and cover to keep warm.
Using a pastry brush, lightly butter both sides of the bread with the salted butter. Set 4 slices aside.
Top each of the 4 slices with 3 or 4 slices of eggplant, about 2 tablespoons onions, 2 tablespoons tomato sauce and 1 slice of cheese. Top with the remaining 4 slices of bread.
Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat or brush a panini press with olive oil and heat to high. Grill each sandwich in the skillet for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until the bread is golden brown and the cheese melts. Press the sandwich with a spatula when you turn it over. If you use a panini press, grill the sandwiches for about 8 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and the cheese melts.
Cut each sandwich into rectangles and slice the rectangles into bricks, or bars, each about 1-inch long. Stack on plates for serving.
Serves four.
"fantastico!" by Rick Tramanto (2007 Broadway Books, $35)
Grilled Asparagus, Taleggio and Prosciutto
6-8 very thin asparagus spears, tough ends snapped off
2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more if needed for oiling press or skillet
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 lengths of baguettes (6-inch)
3 ounces Taleggio cheese, at room temperature
4 thin slices (2 ounces) prosciutto
Heat a panini press according to the manufacturer's instructions, or heat a large, heavy iron or nonstick skillet.
Brush the asparagus with the 2 teaspoons oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place them on the press or skillet. If using a press, put the top down; if using a skillet, press the asparagus down with a spatula or a slightly smaller, heavy skillet. Cook until slightly charred, 3-5 minutes in a press, slightly longer in skillet. If using a skillet, turn once. Transfer to a plate and allow to cool slightly.
Cut the baguette pieces in half lengthwise. Spread half the cheese on the bottom half of each baguette. Divide the cooked asparagus and arrange on top, pressing them slightly so they stay put. Divide the prosciutto, draping the slices over the asparagus. Top each sandwich with its corresponding baguette half.
If using a skillet, brush it lightly with some oil. (Follow the manufacturer's instructions on oiling, or not oiling, your press.) Place the sandwiches on the hot surface and, if using a press, lower the top and cook 4-6 minutes. If using a skillet, brush the top of the sandwich with more oil, and press down on the top with another skillet or a spatula. When the bottom is brown, turn and press and cook some more. It will probably take 8-10 minutes total. Serve immediately.
Serves two.
"Panini Express" by Daniel Leader and Lauren Chattman (2008 Taunton Press, $18.95)
Prosciutto and Pear Panini
1/6 Bosc pear, thinly sliced
1 ounce (1-2 pieces) thinly sliced prosciutto di parma
1 slice shaved parmesan cheese (about a 3-by-3-inch piece)
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
½-1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 small soft roll, sliced in half
Wrap pear slices in proscuitto, place on bottom half of bread. Top with parmesan.
Stir lemon zest and olive oil together; drizzle over sandwich. Top with second half of roll.
Serves one.
Chef Jonathan Fox, La Madia, Chicago
Robiola and Honey-baked Ham With Mustard Mayonnaise Panini
4 tablespoons (½ stick) salted butter, softened, for brushing
Eight ½-inch-thick slices ciabatta or Italian country-style bread
4 slices Robiola cheese (about ½ pound)
1 pound honey-baked ham, thinly sliced
Mustard Mayonnaise, recipe AT RIGHT
1-2 teaspoons olive oil
Using a pastry brush, lightly butter both sides of the bread. Set 4 slices aside.
Top each of 4 slices with a slice of Robiola and some ham, dividing the ham evenly among the sandwiches. Spread about 1 tablespoon mayonnaise on each of the remaining 4 slices of bread and set these, mayonnaise-side down, atop the sandwiches.
Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat or brush a panini press with olive oil and preheat to high. Grill each sandwich in the skillet for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until the bread is golden brown and the cheese melts. Press the sandwich with a spatula when you turn it over. If you use a panini press, grill the sandwiches for about 8 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and the cheese melts.
Cut each sandwich into rectangles and slice the rectangles into bricks, or bars, each about 1 inch long. Stack on plates for serving.
Serves four.
"fantastico!" by Rick Tramanto (2007 Broadway Books, $35)
Mustard Mayonnaise
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1½ teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, tarragon and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Makes about ¿ cup.
"fantastico!" by Rick Tramanto (2007 Broadway Books, $35)
Sausage, Grapes and Gorgonzola Dolce
1 Italian sausage (4 ounces)
2 (6-inch) lengths of baguettes
2 ounces (6 tablespoons) Gorgonzola Dolce (see note) or other spreadable blue cheese
½ cup large red grapes (about 9 large grapes) cut into thin slices
Several teaspoons olive oil, if needed, for press or skillet
Using a sharp chef's knife, cut the sausage almost in half lengthwise, leaving both sides barely connected to each other. (This will keep it from curling while cooking.) Grill, broil or pan-fry the "butterflied" sausage until cooked through. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain.
Heat a panini press according to the manufacturer's instructions, or heat a large, heavy iron or nonstick skillet.
Slice the baguettes in half lengthwise and spread half the cheese on the bottom half of each baguette. Divide the grape slices and place them on top of the cheese, lightly pressing so they stay put. Place a sausage half, flat side down, on top of the grapes. Top with the remaining bread.
If using a skillet, brush it lightly with some oil. (Follow the manufacturer's instructions on oiling, or not oiling, your press.) Place the sandwiches on the hot surface and, if using a press, lower the top and cook 4-7 minutes. If using a skillet, brush the top of the sandwich lightly with oil, and press down on the top with another skillet or a spatula. When the bottom is brown, turn and press and cook some more; it will probably take 8-12 minutes total. Serve immediately.
Serves two.
Cook's note: Also sold as Dolcelatte, this creamy cheese is sold in specialty stores.
"Panini Express" by Daniel Leader and Lauren Chattman (2008 Taunton Press, $18.95)