January 22, 2015 – Pressing Perfect Panini Panino, Panini Tips for Pressing Perfect Panini RECIPE: Smoked Turkey Croque Monsieur Panini Crusting Technique FAQ’s RECIPE: Chicken Bacon Melt Panini Choosing a Panini Press Cleaning a Panini Press RECIPE: Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese Panini Cookbook Review INTRO TEXT How does a sandwich become an extraordinary? When it becomes a panino! Assembled in layers with just a few ingredients, then grilled to golden perfection, a perfectly pressed panini satisfies the eyes and the appetite. IN THIS ISSUE, we’re pressing a few delicious panini to get you ready for the big game day, or any day when a delicious, easy lunch or supper is needed. Try the Smoked Turkey Croque Monsieur Panini, the Chicken Bacon Melt Panini, or the Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese Panini, and see if you don’t agree with just how delicious a grilled sandwich can be! Thumbnails “Meltingly Delicious” MAIN BODY Panino, Panini The terms, panino and panini, are Italian in origin, and translate as “bread rolls”, or in common usage, sandwiches made with the bread rolls. More specifically, in Italy, these words refer to sandwiches made with any bread other than sliced bread; in America, we’re a bit more casual with the terms, and use them to encompass grilled sandwiches made with any bread, including sliced bread. Traditionally stuffed with cured meats, today, the fillings for panini vary greatly and are limited only by one’s imagination. Explore different breads when constructing panini: Multi-grain breads - add great nutty flavors Boule - offer unique round and half-moon shapes Ciabatta rolls – holds condiments easily with their coarse texture Pretzel buns – adds a little extra salty flavor Semolina loaves – toasts well with its dense texture Baguettes – trim and slice horizontally for grilling Tips for Pressing Perfect Panini Preheat the griddle or grill pan to medium high heat. Use a hot pad to “level” the top of the grill when pressing for even heat application. Try two broad spatulas when flipping a panino in a grill pan, one each for top and bottom. Choose a dense bread that will stand up to grilling and pressing. Watch over the grilling process; it happens quickly. Smoked Turkey Croque Monsieur Panini Pair excellent smoked turkey deli slices with Gruyère cheese and the makings of a delicious panino are yours! We opted for a dense multi-grain loaf; it’s nuttiness amplified the naturally nutty flavor of the Gruyère cheese. It’s a cheese that melts wonderfully with just the desired results. But, the magic of this panini lies with the secret outer crust. Finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese is mixed with the butter, and smeared on the outside of the bread prior to grilling. This special treatment complements both the panini’s flavor and crunch thanks to the toasted cheese. Reprinted with permission from The Ultimate Panini Press Cookbook by Kathy Strahs. Copyright 2013. Published by Harvard Common Press, Boston, MA. All rights reserved. Recipe Notes: Do-Ahead Tips (1) Mix the Parmesan-butter mixture ahead of time and store in the refrigerated. (This mixture is addictive just on its own. Use it on your morning toast and your day will have an amazing start!) (2) Assemble the panini early in the day, wrap, and keep in the refrigerator. When it’s game time, or supper time, the sandwiches are ready to grill. Crusting – an Extra Layer of Irresistible Two of the panini recipes in this issue use a technique we term as “crusting.” When preparing a panino for pressing, the outside of the bread is often spread with butter or a brushing of olive oil. This not only adds plenty of flavor, but also keeps the sandwich from sticking to the pan while achieving great grill marks. To amplify the whole event, add an additional ingredient to the butter. In the Smoked Turkey Croque Monsieur Panini above, finely grated Parmesan cheese is added to the outer spread. The cheese melts and toasts to a golden brown adding a delicious, slightly salty crust to the bread. Below in the Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese Panini, finely crushed tortilla chips are added to the butter spread. Along with the bread, the crumbs toast and add fabulous flavor and texture to the entire sandwich. FAQ: (1) Can I just butter the pan instead of the bread? Theoretically, this might work, but we find that better results are achieved when the butter, or butter mixture is applied directly on the outside of the bread. The butter melts, browns, and is absorbed by the bread evenly instead of languishing in the pan and potentially burning before the panino is done. (2) How thick should the bread be? Generally, bread that is between 1/2-inch and 3/4-inch works best. The bread you use will “shrink” as it is toasted, and reduce in height when pressed. That said, even flat breads such as pita bread, make excellent pressed sandwiches. Bread that is too thick may cause the bread to finish grilling before the cheese has had a chance to melt. (3) What should be done if the panini are ready on the outside, but the cheese isn’t melted on the inside? This may be a result of the grill heat being too high or the bread too thick. But, the situation can be rescued! If the outside is grilled nicely, before cutting the panino, zap in the microwave for 10-15 seconds, no more. The heat will reach the inside and melt the cheese to panino perfection. (4) Should the cheese be sliced or grated? Grilled cheese aficionados swear by grating the cheese for the ideal grilled sandwich. The thought behind this is that the cheese spreads more evenly across the bread, and the air pockets allow heat to penetrate faster and more evenly. Others skip the grating step and lay on slices. For panini, cheese is often just one layer of several, and even then, just a thin slice. When using hard cheeses, it may be easier to grate than slice. Experiment with both techniques and see which method you prefer. Chicken Bacon Melt Panini You’ll enjoy this hearty panini over and over again. The flavors are deep and complex, but easy to replicate time and again. We started with a dense bread, (a sesame semolina loaf), spread the outsides with butter, and the insides with an avocado smash. Four ingredients comprised the generous filling: grilled chicken breasts, bacon strips, roasted tomatoes, and Asiago cheese. The result was fabulous and enjoyed by all! The best part was the do-ahead aspect; the components were cooked and readied ahead of time, leaving only the final assembly and grilling for the last minute. Reprinted with permission from The Ultimate Panini Press Cookbook by Kathy Strahs. Copyright 2013. Published by Harvard Common Press, Boston, MA. All rights reserved. Recipe Notes: Roasted Tomatoes – This panini recipe features roasted plum tomatoes. If you’ve not experimented with roasting tomatoes, winter is the perfect time to do so. After September, we say good-bye to fresh tomatoes until the next summer; the flavor of tomatoes this time of year (shipped or hydroponic) just isn’t as good as lush summer tomatoes. However, roasting provides a good solution to the flavor conundrum, (and a good excuse to turn on the oven!). Halve plum tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place in a low oven for 3-4 hours. The flavors concentrate and make the fresh tomatoes a great feature not only for this panini, but also for salads, omelets, and winter pasta dishes. Bacon on the Griddle – We typically like to bake bacon when we’re making it for a crowd, but when just a few freshly cooked slices are required, the griddle works wonders. The bacon stays flat, the grease drains away, and it’s all accomplished quickly. Try it, you’ll like it! Tools for Making Good Panini: CUISINART GRIDDLER GRILL One of our favorite appliances because of it’s versatility. Make panini, grill meats, and use the flat plates for pancakes. LE CREUSET BISTRO GRILL An enameled cast iron pan with a nonstick interior cooks evenly and efficiently for all inside grilling needs. WUSTHOF CLASSIC 8” PANINI KNIFE A scalloped blade cuts through crusty breads easily without comprimising the filling. Offset handle for easy manuevering. LODGE CAST IRON GRILL PRESS Turn any pan into a press. Preheat along with the pan, and grill from the top and bottom. Great for bacon. LODGE CAST IRON SQUARE GRILL PAN Cast iron heats and cooks evenly. Square shape is ideal and efficient for bread slices, bacon, and other foods. OXO GOOD GRIPS SILICONE TURNER Transfer panini and other foods from the indoor grill safely. Flexible, high temperature tolerant materials. Choosing a Panini Press Several good panini presses are available on the market. It’s a great appliance that has so many uses beyond panini-making that it’s well worth including on the “essential kitchen equipment” list. The unique bottom-up and top-down heat sourcing makes cooking fast and efficient. Consider these features when purchasing a panini press: • Size of grilling surface – choose a size that matches your need – cooking for a few or for a crowd. • Versatile controls – look for a grill that allows for bottom grill use only, or both top and bottom simultaneous use. • Grilling plates – many grills offer both grill plates and flat, smooth plates, or even waffle plates; some open fully for a larger bottom grilling surface. • Drip management – examine how liquids will drain from the grill. • Cleaning ease – determine how easy it will be to clean the cooking surfaces. • Storage – consider how and where you will store the grill for easy access. Not Just for Panini! Burgers Chicken Breasts Pancakes Grilled Vegetables Bacon Grilled Cheese Cleaning a Grill Pan or Panini Press A good panini with melted cheese can make a bit of a mess, but given the primo results, a worthwhile mess. To clean a grill pan or grill plates, first follow the manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning. Most griddles and grill pans are made with a nonstick cooking surface. To remove any grilling remainders, simply soak the removable plates in warm, soapy water for 5 to 10 minutes; most residue will easily wash away. If the grilling plates are not removable, a wet paper towel on a warm (unplugged) plate will soften the leftover bits making them easy to wipe away. Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese Panini If you like stuffed jalapeño peppers, also known as jalapeño poppers, this is the panino for you! Sharp cheddar cheese spiked with roasted jalapeño peppers, and just enough cream cheese to make the filling spreadable, compose this sandwich. The jalapeños, when roasted, become tender and their spiciness smooth and mild. But the final flourish to this sandwich is the tortilla chip crust – it’s an amazing addition to the cheese and pepper flavors, and a satisfying, slightly salty crunch to the toasted bread. A genius presentation! Reprinted with permission from The Ultimate Panini Press Cookbook by Kathy Strahs. Copyright 2013. Published by Harvard Common Press, Boston, MA. All rights reserved. Recipe Notes: Do-Ahead Tips! Several steps to preparing these panini may be accomplished ahead of time. For example, crumble the tortilla chips and mix with butter, roast the peppers, and/or mix the cheese filling. The paninis may be made and assembled early in the day, wrapped and stored in the refrigerator. Grill and press later when appetites are keen for something good tasting. COOKBOOK REVIEW: The Ultimate Panini Press Cookbook by Kathy Strahs. Copyright 2013 Published by Harvard Common Press, Boston, MA. This “single subject” cookbook may be focused in name, but is broad in the potential for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in its exploration of panini. Ms. Strahs captures the infinite number of possibilities that lie with the humble, grilled sandwich. She supplies us with the basics as well as tips for success in the opening pages, then dives into the myriad of choices for pressing the perfect panini. Organized by Poultry, Pork, Beef and Lamb, Seafood, Vegetable, and Cheese fillings, the variety and combinations span both classic combinations and innovative pairings. She finishes her offering with a chapter just for Breakfast and Brunch, and another devoted to Dessert Panini. You’ll be inspired and equipped at the panini press with this book in hand! Closing: Make pressing perfect panini a part of your kitchen repertoire all year long!