In the US, a panini is a sizzling sandwich that is grilled or pressed to create attribute brown charred traces on the floor of the bread. The phrase panini means sandwiches in Italian, and sure, it’s plural, though we use it within the singular right here (the Italian singular is panino, in case you order one in Italy). An Italian panino is any sort of sandwich, which incorporates these made on rolls, buns, and sliced bread in addition to hamburgers and pita sandwiches, whereas on this nation it solely refers back to the sizzling pressed sort. There is not any finish to inventive panini recipes, which vary from these that includes Italian substances like mozzarella and prosciutto to American creations like a Thanksgiving turkey panini with chipotle cranberry unfold.

Recipe developer Michelle Bottalico has created a recipe for a Mediterranean eggplant panini that options some traditional Mediterranean flavors and might simply be made at dwelling. Black olive pâté is unfold on a baguette and topped with Brie, which melts splendidly within the sandwich press and pairs effectively with the distinctive taste of the olive unfold. Roasted eggplant and roasted crimson pepper prime the cheese, and recent basil leaves present a ultimate shiny, summery, and fragrant contact. Prep a batch of roasted eggplant and the olive pâté forward of time, and you’ll shortly assemble and warmth a mouthwatering sandwich to convey the scrumptious tastes of the Mediterranean to your meal.

Step one is to roast eggplant slices, and you will want a big eggplant. The utmost weight ought to be about 1 ½ kilos for the 4 servings this recipe makes. You may additionally want olive oil and salt. The subsequent step is to make olive pâté, and the substances for this are pitted black olives (common black olives canned in brine) and further virgin olive oil. Seize a baguette to make the sandwiches in addition to brie, a jar of roasted crimson peppers, and basil leaves for the remaining filling substances. Roasted crimson peppers packed in water are good for this recipe, not the marinated sort that is packed in oil with attainable different substances like garlic.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Slice the eggplant into ⅜ inch rounds, slicing any very massive items in half.

Place the slices on a baking sheet, drizzle them with olive oil, and sprinkle salt on prime. Flip the slices over and oil and salt the opposite facet.

Bake for 30-35 minutes till tender and golden, flipping midway by way of the cooking time. Put aside.

To make the olive pâté, place the olives and olive oil in a meals processor or blender and mix till creamy and uniform. Put aside.

Slice the baguette into 4 items about 6 inches lengthy and lower every bit in half lengthwise.

Unfold ¼ of the olive pâté on the underside half of every piece of baguette and evenly divide the brie slices on prime.

Prepare the eggplant slices, roasted crimson peppers, and basil evenly on prime of the brie and prime every sandwich with the opposite half of the bread.

Press the sandwich inside an electrical sandwich press for 3-5 minutes till the bread is browned and the cheese is barely melted.

You’ve got room to mess around with the substances on this panini recipe if you want. The primary ingredient that may be substituted is the bread. Baguette offers a sturdy base for the substances, however you’ll be able to select other forms of sturdy sliceable bread. Ciabatta is in line with the Mediterranean and Italian theme, however any strong artisan bread would work. Avoid smooth sliced bread, which might get too soggy and never maintain the substances effectively.

This recipe requires Brie, which is scrumptious melted and pairs splendidly with the olive pâté. Different smooth Mediterranean cheeses that soften effectively for sandwiches are Camembert, Reblochon, goat cheese, and Italian tomino. Whereas firmer cheeses like fontina or Asiago would even be scrumptious. Tapenade is a Provençal olive unfold that is a great various to Italian olive pâté. It has a barely completely different taste from the addition of capers and typically different substances like anchovies, nevertheless it’s related sufficient to make use of right here. For those who don’t love olives, unfold some basil pesto or sun-dried tomato pesto on the bread as a substitute.

This sandwich can be tasty with roasted zucchini or mushrooms together with or as a substitute of the roasted eggplant and peppers. Contemplate toppings like sliced artichoke hearts or caponata or, should you skip the olive pâté, a drizzle of balsamic glaze. Go straightforward on moist substances or pat them dry so the sandwich does not get too messy.

Utilizing an electrical sandwich press, which can be known as a panini press, a sandwich maker, or an electrical grill, is a simple option to warmth your sandwich, soften the cheese, and find yourself with darkish charred traces on the bread. There are various distinctive methods to make use of a panini press in addition to making sandwiches so it is a versatile piece of apparatus. You should utilize a George Forman grill too, though you will have points with uneven heating on taller sandwiches as a result of it lacks a panini press’s open hinge, which permits the highest half of the press to put flat in opposition to the sandwich.

For those who’d quite not retailer an additional electrical equipment in your kitchen, you should use a forged iron grill press. It is a flat, heavy, rectangular object with a deal with. Place the sandwich in a pan and press the grill press down on prime of it. For those who use a grill pan with it, you may get charred traces on the bread, in addition to that barely smoky taste. Lastly, there is a easy hack that permits you to get a sizzling, pressed panini if you have no of that gear. Place your sandwich in a pan and press one other frying pan or skillet down on prime of it. In case your second pan is heavy, like a forged iron skillet, you will not must press down manually.