Fried Green Tomato And Pancetta Panini
Author: Randazzo
Recipe type: Pork
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cornmeal
- salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- 4 green tomatoes, sliced ¼” thick
- ¼ cup olive oil, plus more for brushing
- 8 oz. pancetta, thickly sliced, cooked until crispy, fat reserved
- 8 slices country-style bread, each ½” thick
- 6 oz. thinly sliced provolone cheese
- 1 cup baby arugula
Instructions
- Put 1 cup flour in shallow bowl.
- In another shallow bowl, combine ½ 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 mixture and place on plate.
- In deep sauté pan over medium heat, warm ¼ cup oil and 3 Tbs. pancetta fat.
- Fry tomatoes in batches, turning once, until golden, 2-3 minutes per side; add more fat to pan as needed.
- Preheat electric panini press.
- Brush one side of each bread slice with oil.
- Lay slices, oiled side down, on work surface.
- Place cheese on half of slices; top with pancetta, 2 or 3 tomato slices, an 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 and place ¼ cup of arugula inside each sandwich, then cut in half.
