Chef Graziella
Panuozzo with Sausage and Friarielli
The stuffed bread of Gragnano, where Neapolitan pizza dough becomes a pocket for crumbled sausage and bitter greens. This is what the pizza makers eat when they are hungry.
Culinary Explorer
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Mozzarella in Carrozza
Created by
The Neapolitan art of frying cheese in a bread carriage, where the simplest ingredients become something that pulls into golden strings when you break it apart.
Sandwiches & Wraps
Italian, Neapolitan
Comfort Food
15 min
Active Time
10 min cook•25 min total
Yield4 servings
The name means 'mozzarella in a carriage,' and the carriage is two slices of bread. This is Neapolitan street food at its most honest: fresh cheese, encased in bread, dipped in egg, and fried until the outside shatters and the inside stretches. The pulling cheese is the point. If your mozzarella does not stretch when you pull the halves apart, you have failed.
Americans see this and think of grilled cheese. They are not the same. Grilled cheese is butter and patience. Mozzarella in carrozza is hot oil and speed. The bread is not toasted slowly on a griddle. It is fried quickly until it becomes something closer to a fritter. The crust should crackle when you bite through it.
This requires fresh mozzarella, what Italians call fior di latte. The rubbery blocks sold in American supermarkets will not do. They do not melt into strings. They turn to something resembling plastic. If you cannot find proper fresh mozzarella, packed in water and soft to the touch, make something else.
Mozzarella in carrozza appeared in Naples during the 1800s, likely invented to use day-old bread and fresh mozzarella that needed eating before it turned. The 'carriage' of the name refers to enclosed horse-drawn carriages of the era, the bread enclosing the cheese like a passenger inside. It spread from street carts to trattorias across Campania, remaining a beloved quick meal and merenda, the late-afternoon snack Italians take seriously.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
white sandwich bread
Quantity
8 slices
crusts removed
fresh mozzarella (fior di latte)
Quantity
8 ounces
sliced 1/4-inch thick
large eggs
Quantity
3
all-purpose flour
Quantity
1/2 cup
fine sea salt
Quantity
to taste
olive oil or vegetable oil
Quantity
about 1 cup
for frying
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| white sandwich breadcrusts removed | 8 slices |
| fresh mozzarella (fior di latte)sliced 1/4-inch thick | 8 ounces |
| large eggs | 3 |
| all-purpose flour | 1/2 cup |
| fine sea salt | to taste |
| olive oil or vegetable oilfor frying | about 1 cup |
Equipment Needed
- •Large heavy skillet (10 to 12 inches)
- •Slotted spatula or spider
- •Paper towels for draining
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the mozzarella
Slice the mozzarella into pieces slightly smaller than the bread slices. The cheese must not reach the edges, or it will escape during frying and burn in the oil. Pat the slices dry with paper towels. Mozzarella holds water, and water and hot oil are enemies.
- 2
Assemble the sandwiches
Place mozzarella slices on four pieces of bread. Season lightly with salt. Top with the remaining bread slices and press the edges firmly together. The seal must hold during frying. Some Neapolitan cooks moisten the edges with a bit of beaten egg before pressing. This works.
If you wish to add anchovy, as some Neapolitans do, lay one or two fillets over the mozzarella before closing the sandwich. The salt and funk of the anchovy against the mild cheese is traditional, not mandatory. - 3
Set up the coating station
Beat the eggs in a shallow bowl with a pinch of salt. Spread the flour on a plate. Work in this order: flour first, then egg. The flour helps the egg adhere. Without it, the coating slides off in the pan.
- 4
Coat the sandwiches
Dredge each sandwich lightly in flour, shaking off the excess. Then dip into the beaten egg, turning to coat all sides completely. Let the excess drip back into the bowl. The coating should be thin and even, not heavy.
- 5
Heat the oil
Pour oil into a large skillet to a depth of about half an inch. Heat over medium until a small piece of bread dropped in sizzles immediately and turns golden in about 30 seconds. The temperature should be around 350°F. If you do not have a thermometer, the bread test tells you what you need to know.
The oil temperature is critical. Too hot, the outside burns before the cheese melts. Too cool, the sandwich absorbs oil and becomes heavy. Medium heat and patience. - 6
Fry until golden
Carefully lower the coated sandwiches into the hot oil. Do not crowd the pan. Fry two at a time if necessary. Cook until the underside is deeply golden, about 2 minutes. Flip once with a spatula and fry the second side until equally golden, another 2 minutes. The bread should be crisp, the cheese inside molten.
- 7
Drain and serve immediately
Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Let rest for 30 seconds only, enough to drain but not enough for the cheese to seize. Serve at once. Cut in half if you wish to display the stretching cheese. Mozzarella in carrozza waits for no one. Cold, it is merely a greasy sandwich.
Chef Tips
- •Fresh mozzarella must be drained well. Slice it and let it rest on paper towels for 10 minutes before assembling. Excess moisture causes the oil to splatter and the coating to slide off.
- •The bread should be soft white sandwich bread, what Italians call pan carré. Day-old is fine. Very fresh bread can become gummy. Avoid crusty bread; it does not seal properly at the edges.
- •Some Neapolitan versions include an anchovy fillet with the cheese. This is traditional in certain families. If you use anchovy, reduce the salt. The anchovy provides enough.
- •These cannot be reheated successfully. The bread turns soggy, the cheese becomes rubbery. Make only what you will eat immediately.
Advance Preparation
- •The sandwiches can be assembled up to one hour ahead, covered, and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before coating and frying.
- •The coating (flour, then egg) must be done immediately before frying. Do not coat in advance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 155g)
Calories
565 calories
Total Fat
38 g
Saturated Fat
12 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
25 g
Cholesterol
170 mg
Sodium
500 mg
Total Carbohydrates
34 g
Dietary Fiber
2 g
Sugars
2 g
Protein
23 g
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