5 Ingredients or Fewer

Caprese en Carrozza

by:
August 20, 2018
4
10 Ratings
Caprese en Carrozza
Photo by Ty Mecham
  • Prep time 10 minutes
  • Cook time 5 minutes
  • Makes 1 sandwich
Author Notes

Caprese—the classic Italian combo of mozzarella, tomato, and basil—goes on a date with mozzarella en carrozza, a pan-fried sandwich. Spoiler: They totally love each other. —Emma Laperruque

Test Kitchen Notes

This is one of our Big Little Recipes. Read more here: A 5-Ingredient Caprese Grilled Cheese That’s as Crispy as It Is Melty. —The Editors

What You'll Need
Watch This Recipe
Caprese en Carrozza
Ingredients
  • 2 thick slices, crusty, white, Italian-style bread
  • 2 thick slices fresh mozzarella, plus more as needed (enough to create 1 layer)
  • 2 thick slices juicy-red tomato, plus more as needed (enough to create 1 layer)
  • 2 pinches kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 3 big basil leaves, plus more as needed (enough to create 1 layer)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions
  1. Build the sandwich in this order: bread, mozzarella, tomato, big pinch of salt, basil, bread.
  2. Crack the egg in a wide, shallow bowl or rimmed plate (or even a pie pan) and beat with a fork until smooth.
  3. Set a preferably nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. While that gets hot, carefully dip both sides of the sandwich in the egg. It will soak up most of the egg but not all.
  4. When the oil is shimmery, add the sandwich. It should sizzle. Cover the pan with a lid. (If this slightly squashes the sandwich, good! But no need to press down—that will come later.) Cook for about 3 minutes until the bottom is deeply browned. Remove the lid and use a spatula to flip. Use the spatula to press down on the sandwich—firmly to condense but not so harshly that the fillings squish out. Cook for another 2 or so minutes until the bottom is deeply browned.
  5. Remove to a plate, let cool for a moment, then slice in half on the diagonal.
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See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Bani Dheri
    Bani Dheri
  • tupperbear
    tupperbear
  • Emma Laperruque
    Emma Laperruque
  • Callan
    Callan
Emma Laperruque
Emma was the food editor at Food52. She created the award-winning column, Big Little Recipes, and turned it into a cookbook in 2021. These days, she's a senior editor at Bon Appétit, leading digital cooking coverage. Say hello on Instagram at @emmalaperruque.

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6 Reviews

Bani D.
Bani D. February 23, 2019
I really liked it! But instead of kosher salt which I dont have at home, I used a garlic salt I have which added a little extra.
 
tupperbear
tupperbear September 3, 2018
I really enjoyed. Tweaked by adding bacon & smoke/grilled on my Traeger.
 
Emma L.
Emma L. September 4, 2018
Thanks! Adding bacon is always a good call :)
 
Callan
Callan August 27, 2018
Sometimes the classics really should just be left alone. This was not good. The egg didn’t work at all for a grilled cheese. I’m a huge fan of food52 normally, so I was super disappointed.
 
Emma L.
Emma L. August 28, 2018
Hi Callan—so sorry to hear that! The egg adds a custardy quality, like mozzarella en carrozza or French toast. But it's not for everyone! Here's a more classic grilled cheese that I love and hope you will too: https://food52.com/recipes/29523-gabrielle-hamilton-s-grilled-cheese-sandwiches
 
judy
judy September 7, 2018
I'm sorry to hear that you didn't;'t like the egg. I love it on grilled cheese, but I use a good sharp cheddar rather than mozzarella. Tomato, big leaves of garden basil nice, rich, sharp cheddar and sourdough bread. And an egg. I like to lay the cheese over the egg just after I flip it. take the pan off the stove, then put a lid on it. The cheese melts nicely. I usually toast the sourdough bread and add a little mayo and ground pepper, sliced tomatoes. Build my sandwich. Amazing. A lice or two of nice red onion really sends it over the top!