Rick's Favorite Panini
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Rick's Favorite Panini
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A panini is an Italian sandwich which is grilled on both sides so that the insides melt together and the outside pieces of bread form a delicious crust! Almost anything is good in a panini. It helps to have something that melts well to serve as the "glue" - like cheese. If you don't have a panini maker you can make this on any indoor grill using a brick which has been covered in foil as a top weight OR a stovetop grill pan OR a frying pan. You will need good panini bread which means large slices of bread with a large amount of soft middle and a hard crust. For the sandwich: Panini bread Mozzarella Cheese Boneless chicken breasts Salt and Pepper to taste Olive oil Pesto Sauce Marinate the chicken breasts for as long as you can (up to 24 hours) in a plastic ziploc with olive oil, salt and pepper and a few tablespoons of pesto. Grill the breasts just until no longer pink. I grill mine on the panini maker and then wipe it down before I make the sandwich. You can cook the chicken any way you like. Grilling just adds a nice flavor and texture. Another way to do it is to use chicken cutlets that have been breaded and fried. Allow to cool before slicing to retain juices. Spread pesto on both pieces of bread. Slice chicken and lay on one piece of bread. Lay mozzarella slices on the other piece and slap together. For extra flavor, brush outside of bread with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. To cook, place sandwich on very hot grill and place weight (brick or other) on top. Apply pressure to sear. Cook for about 3-4 minutes and turn sandwich over. Allow to cook until golden brown with grill marks (if not using fry pan). Slice and serve. |
