Perfect Panino

I am a self proclaimed panino snob. There are very few so called panino sandwiches that actually meet my lofty expectations. And most of them are found in Europe or in my kitchen. They are very easy to make and delight all the senses (except perhaps those looking for a romantic dinner for two, which is why I'm not sure why I decided this would be the Valentine's Day posting).

To clarify two points before I continue, the first of which I actually just learned:
1. Panino is the singular form of the word, while panini is the plural form of it (which is why it's even more annoying when restaurants have "panini" on the menu)
2. This is my self-proclaimed perfect panino, while it does reflect what I saw in my European travels, it does not reflect what is and is not a true panino as defined by an actual Italian citizen. I'm just being snobbish over something that I have decided to define as the perfect panino. We all have our faults...just wanted to blog with open disclosure.

The perfect panini have a few key elements: bread, tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, lettuce and olive oil. Some acceptable alterations of this basic recipe include italian meats: prosciutto, sopressa, salami, I'd even allow real Italian bologna (although you would certainly never find that on my sandwich). A sandwich with any other ingredients is simply a glorified grilled cheese, it is ABSOLUTELY NOT a panino. Please just call it what it is, a grilled sandwich.

Perhaps a little background on this topic is necessary, where does one become such a panino snob? For me, it was Paris, France about 8 years ago. I was visiting, and while trying to maintain a low food budget, I was introduced to the panino. I think there is something a little bit more special about the sandwich when you're enjoying it in Luxembourg gardens or on the river Seine. Kind of hard to beat that. The homemade panino is good, but it can never be that good. Every time I've gone back to France or Italy, I have really focused my eating efforts on these delightful sandwiches. And, the other thing, is the panino is to be enjoyed from a street vendor. Don't waste your time ordering it in a restaurant, the best are found on the street.

At this point, you're probably wondering "seriously, she's going to tell us how to put some cheese on some bread and grill it?" Am I right? You are, aren't you? There are a few things that you may not think of that will make your panino second to none (well, maybe second to those found in Europe, but those our really out of reach on a day to day basis). So keep reading.

Now, onto those key ingredients. Let's take them one at a time - starting with the bread.
A baguette is key. Not sliced bread. No no no no no. It must be a baguette. The tricky thing with a baguette is that they tend to be quite crusty. So, you have to take a squeeze of the baguette before you buy it (or you can make it too, just don't make it too crusty, i.e. don't brush with so much water). Just make sure that the outside crust isn't too crusty, and that it gives a bit when you squeeze it. If you're in NY, the Balthazar baguette is perfect.

Next, mozzarella cheese. Absolutely do NOT use the pre-shredded or pre-sliced mozzarella. You can use fresh mozzarella (which is the best), but I'm ok with the low-moisture stuff too. I like to put slices of the cheese on both sides of the bread so it gets super gooey. But that's not really standard, so do what you want.

Onto the tomatoes. Really the only thing you need to know about the tomatoes is that you need to salt and pepper them. Do not forget this step. It is absolutely key. If you're ever lucky enough to eat a tomato off the vine (my first experience doing this was also in Italy, but I was 10, and I'll never forget it), try eating it both with and without salt and pepper. A WORLD of difference. Even if you don't like salt. Try it. It doesn't taste salty, it actually just enhances the sweetness and the flavor of the tomato. You've got to do it. You don't need a lot, a few sprinkles. But it separates a bland sandwich from a world class panino.

And the basil. Add it. It's fantastic. Whole pieces, chopped, whatever. I highly recommend fresh basil. But, if you really really need a panini and you don't have fresh basil, you can use the dried stuff, but it doesn't taste nearly as good. You could also heat up some olive oil with some dried basil to flavor the oil and bring out the basil flavor, still though, not quite the same.

So that's all the stuff you'll add to the sandwich before you grill it. But, you'll also need to add the lettuce once it's done getting all melty. For the lettuce, this too is key - chop it fine (almost shredded) add some olive oil (the best you have) and again, add salt and pepper. Sounds gross, salt on lettuce. But believe me, it just tastes like oily lettuce if you don't add the salt and pepper.

And the grilling process. If you have one of those fancy schmancy panino grills, fan-freakin' tastic. You're all set. If not, try a Foreman grill. And, if you don't have room for a million crazy kitchen gadgets, pull out your grill pan. No grill pan? Just use a regular pan. It doesn't really matter. What you do need, however, if you don't have some kind of pressing type grill, is a cast iron pan. When the sandwich is grilling, you need some weight on the top of it to press it down and make it super gooey and delicious. If you don't have a cast iron pan, you can just put a plate on top of the sandwich and press down on the plate with your hand (hopefully covered in an oven mitt).

So, please, don't go to a restaurant and order a "grilled chicken sundried tomato aioli panini" unless you want something that's not a panino. There's no aioli on panini. There's no grilled chicken on panini. Panini does not come with a side of fries. It comes in some wax paper all wrapped up and ready to eat. And, if you're ever in Europe, please please please try one from a street vendor. You'll understand my obsession.

Panino (add a side salad or soup to make it a meal, serves 2)
1 baguette
8 good size slices of mozzarella
1 tomato, sliced
~ 6 basil leaves
~ 1 cup sliced lettuce
prosciutto, salami, etc... (optional)
olive oil
salt and pepper

Pre-heat your grill pan / panini maker / regular pan. Cut off the ends of the baguette (you can use the ends for croutons, store 'em in your freezer) and cut the baguette in half then slice it lengthwise. Add the first layer of cheese on one side of the bread, and add a layer of sliced tomatoes. Add the salt and pepper to the tomatoes and the basil. Add the meat layer (if you want it) and second layer of cheese. Close up the sandwich. Brush both sides of the bread with some olive oil and add it to the pan (don't forget to weight it down!). While the sandwich is cooking, add the olive oil to the lettuce and the salt and pepper. Set aside. When the bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted (a couple of minutes) flip it over and cook on the other side. When you pull the sandwich off, add some of the lettuce dressed with the olive oil to the middle of the sandwich.

I'm sure as soon as you bite into this hot, crispy, gooey, sandwich you will never go back to any other version of the panino, or at least you'll understand my crazy obsession with the perfect panino.