The usual ingredients of an Italian panini sandwich are the bread, meat, vegetables, and the press. Although, Italians aren?t fussy about the bread itself, they do care if the bread is dense enough to hold the stuffing inside and if it would be enough to grill evenly. The most common breads used for panini are the Foccacia and Ciabatta breads.
Salami, pepperoni, and prosciutto are commonly used for this grill cooking method since they are already cured. However, it is also important to slice the meat thinly so that it all heats up evenly. You can even add thin slices of cheeses and mustard or mayonnaise.
Vegetables are also an important factor with the panini sandwich. To add more flavor to your choice vegetable, you can grill them up first and then put it in your panini. Do not load your panini with too much lettuce since this is not an ordinary sandwich and it is meant to be hot. Instead, add your lettuce after the grilling is complete so that the lettuce is cool and crisp when the panini are served.
You can find hundreds of different ways to make mouth watering panini. The best way to grill them is undoubtedly in a panini press. If you don?t have one, it is a great investment and can cost anywhere from about $35 and up. The prices of panini grills are usually reasonable since the makers want to cater to the family budget. However, if you still don?t have the right budget for a panini grill, you can still use an ordinary burner with a two layer fire burning in low direct heat over your well oiled cooking surface. Just place your panini over the low heat area of the grill and close the lid. Open the lid after less than a minute and press the sandwich with a spatula for ten seconds then turn it over. And do the same thing again with the other side. Another option is to use a grilling pan on the stovetop. Place a weighted object over your panini to press them down.
You can serve Italian panini for any occasion you want, including breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you cut them up, you can even serve them as hors d?oeuvres. You can be certain that everyone will be satisfied and you will look like a gourmet chef.
Author: Sabrina Rocca
About the author:
For more great panini recipes and tips, visit http://www.easypaninirecipes.com. Easy Panini Recipes contains over 50 easy to follow, step-by-step panini recipes that will make anyone look like a gourmet chef!
Article source: Free Cooking Articles.
