Fried Green Tomato and Pancetta Panini

Submitted by hannahactually

"This is a superb, unique sandwich that is pretty simple to prepare. I made these paninis for my family, all of whom loved them. Recipe courtesy Williams-Sonoma."

 

• Ready In: 30mins
• Ingredients: 10
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 cups flour
• 1⁄2 cup cornmeal
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 4 green tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 1⁄4 cup olive oil, plus more for brushing
• 8 ounces pancetta, thickly sliced, cooked until crispy, fat reserved
• 8 ounces sliced country bread, each 1/2-inch thick
• 6 ounces thinly sliced provolone cheese
• 1 cup baby arugula

directions

1. Put 1 cup flour in shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, combine 1/2 cup flour, cornmeal, salt, and pepper. Put eggs in another bowl. Season tomato slices with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour; dip into eggs, letting excess drip off. Dredge in cornmeal mix. Place on plate.
2. In deep saute pan over medium heat, warm 1/2 cup oil and 3 tablespoons pancetta fat. Fry tomatoes in batches, turning once, until golden, 2-3 minutes per side. Add more fat to pan as needed.
3. Preheat electric panini press. Brush one side of each bread slice with olive oil. Lay slices, oiled side down, on panini griddle/wok surface. Place cheese on half of slices; top with pancetta, 2 or 3 tomato slices, and one of the other bread slices, oiled side up. Cook sandwiches on panini press until bread is golden and cheese is melted, 3-5 minutes. Transfer to cutting board. Place 1/4 cup arugula inside each sandwich; cut in half.
4. Serve and savor!

Reviews

[Ilysse]

To keep this kosher I used veg. bacon rather than the pancetta. I opted to use sour dough bread for the family and whole wheat for myself. I also used mozarella rather than provolone since I used all the provolone for something else (I forgot why I bought it LOL). The family likes mozarella better anyway and I think it was really good. All in all this was a great sandwich. I did feel like there was something missing. Like I wanted something creamy on the inside besides the cheese. Like some mayo or a sauce of some kind. Maybe I'll experiment next time.