How to make the perfect Roman "mozzarella in carrozza"

History of mozzarella in carrozza

Lazio - Rome in particular - over time has claimed the paternity of mozzarella in carrozza, which, however, seems to have been born in Campania. To be precise, in the medieval Campania countryside, where mozzarella often arrived slightly sour due to the slowness of transport. In order not to waste it, peasant families began to use it as a filling and ate it in stuffed between two slices of stale bread. The name derives from the shape reminiscent of the wheel of a carriage (in Italian, carrozza): in the past, in fact, the bread used was a simple round kind, breaded in egg and fried in boiling oil. Originally, mozzarella di bufala was used, while in Rome the recipe is made with fiordilatte and anchovies or a slice of cooked ham are often added, an alternative version also shared by Venetian cuisine. In any case, it is a humble, simple and tasty dish, used to use up leftovers and give life to hearty and delicious recipes.

Mozzarella in carrozza

Ingredients

1 buffalo mozzarella (300 g)

½ loaf of stale bread

3 eggs

1 handful of flour

Milk

Salt

Extra virgin olive oil

Keep the mozzarella in the fridge for at least one day to let it dry and harden up. Cut it in eight slices, then cut sixteen slices of bread. Put each mozzarella slice between two slices of bread, then put some flour on each cheese sandwich. Whisk the eggs with some milk and pour the mixture on the sandwiches. Fry each sandwich in a pan with olive oil and serve the mozzarella in carrozza hot.

by Michela Becchi