Classic Mozzarella in Carozza

Found in the Barilla Celebrity Cookbook, this is a very fancy grilled mozzarella sandwich with a classic seasoning. There are a wide variety of versions of this recipe, mostly differing in their spicing. I've made it a few times. Replacing the cream with 1% milk does work, but it takes slightly longer to cook off the additional water.

• Ready In: 25 mins
• Serves: 4
• Yields: 4 sandwich

Ingredients

• 1  lb  fresh buffalo mozzarella, cut into 4 equal pieces about 3 inches by 4 inches
• 8  slices  firm  white bread, 1/2-inch-thick
• 2  large eggs
• 1⁄2 cup heavy cream
• 1  teaspoon fresh thyme leave
• 1  teaspoon salt
•  nutmeg, to taste
• 1⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2  tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

1. Place the mozzarella pieces on 4 slices of the bread.
2. Cover with the 4 remaining slices of bread to form sandwiches.
3. Trim the crusts off to make perfect 4-inch squares.In a wide shallow bowl, whisk the eggs.
4. Add the cream, thyme, salt and nutmeg and whisk until well blended.
5. In a 10 to 12-inch nonstick sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat until smoking.
6. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and cook until the sizzling subsides.
7. Dip 2 of the sandwiches into the egg mixture, turning to coat, place in the pan, and cook until golden brown on the first side, about 2 minutes.
8. Flip over and brown on the other side.
9. Transfer the sandwiches to individual plates and repeat the process with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon butter and 2 sandwiches.
10. Cut in half and serve immediately.