Making Panini

When it comes to food that comes in many varieties, nutritiously complete and suits people on the go, nothing beats sandwiches. And panini (singular form: panino) packs all the desirable qualities of a sumptuous sandwich which you can eat on its own or in combination with a side dish or soup.  You can mix and match virtually any filling of your choice, although traditional panini sandwiches are filled with thin slices of cured meat and cheeses, served piping hot.  What sets aside this Italian delight from other sandwiches is that panini are pressed and grilled until the filling has melted together, thus giving the food its distinctive flavor and the grilled appearance of the bread.
Making panini is as simple as ABC.  Just follow these simple steps and you can have panini in a jiffy:
1.Prepare the ingredients.
Bread - You would need a dense, flavorful loaf with more or less even surface. This will allow you to heat the panini uniformly. Cut the bread horizontally so you can stuff the fillings layer by layer.
Filling - Salami, ham, pepperoni and cheese are perfect with panini, although chicken, veggies and just about any fillings can work wonders with panini.  The thinner the slices, the better the ingredients fuse together when cooked.  Though filling ingredients don’t have to be added in any particular order, you might want to put the sliced cheese on the bottom half of your bread.  Top it with a little sliced tomato or pickle, followed by salami, ham or chicken.  Cover it with the upper half of your bread.  Brush the bread’s surface so that it will not stick to the heating element while your panini are being cooked.
2.Prepare the panini press by pre-heating it. If you don’t have one, by all means you can use your barbecue grill. If you are using a barbecue grill, make sure to take out most of the charcoal from the area where you will cook to achieve uniform heating without burning your bread.
3.Once you’ve stuffed your bread, you can start cooking your panini. First you have to press it for that panini feel. Your panini press and grill will do that automatically for you once you close the lid. If you’re using a charcoal grill, pressing your bread using a spatula for about 10 seconds will do the same trick. Grill your panini for 2 to 4 minutes. Again, you have to turn the bread over to cook the other side if you’re using a charcoal grill.  Around that time the ingredients have adequately melted and the ridges on your panini have formed.  Eat with hot soup.  Bon appétit!

Sabrina Rocca
Author: Easy Panini Recipes
For more great panini recipes and ideas, visit http://www.easypaninirecipes.com.

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