Waffled Scarmorza "en Carroza"
 
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These tasty little sandwiches are something like the love child of a grilled cheese and a Monte Cristo -- in short: delicious. I've cooked them up in a waffle iron for a snackier interpretation, but be sure to see the note below for the traditional pan-fried method.
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Makes: 4 sandwiches
Ingredients
  • 8 slices good, squishy white sandwich bread (I used sliced King's Hawaiian bread)
  • generous ½ cup milk
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 8 oz smoked scamorza (or smoked mozzarella), about 1 large ball
  • light frying oil for waffle iron or griddle
  • sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat waffle iron to medium-high. (See note for pan-fried version.) Brush iron lightly with oil.
  2. Pour milk, flour and beaten egg into three separate shallow dishes. Generously season flour with salt and pepper and mix well.
  3. Thinly slice scamorza into about 8 pieces. Arrange two slices of cheese between two slices of bread, leaving about a ½" border between the cheese and the crust. Firmly smoosh edges of bread together.
  4. Lightly dip both sides of sandwich into milk, then seasoned flour, then egg. It doesn't need a thick batter, so you can be quick about it. Just a light coating of each will do. Transfer dredged sandwich to waffle iron and griddle until timer chimes (or until sandwich is deeply golden and escaping cheese is crisped and browned).
  5. Repeat to make remaining sandwiches. (You can keep prepared sandwiches hot in a warm oven if desired.)
  6. Cut sandwiches into halves or quarters and enjoy alone or with soup for dunking. Yum!
Notes
This recipe is inspired by Nigella's wildly delicious Mozzarella in Carroza, which I fried up with reckless abandon in my college years.

In this version, I've swapped the traditional method of frying the (typically crustless) sandwiches in hot olive oil for a quick griddle in a waffle iron, which requires a bit less oil and produces a snackier (though admittedly less pocket-y) result. Both versions are undoubtedly delicious.

To prepare these more traditionally -- i.e. without the waffle iron -- prep the sandwiches as directed (removing the crusts from the bread, if desired), and fry them in a shimmering pool of hot olive or avocado oil until golden and crispy.
Recipe by the pig & quill at https://thepigandquill.com/french-lentil-soup-with-kale-bacon-and-waffled-scamorza-en-carroza/