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Fontina and Prosciutto Panini

Source of Recipe

From "Williams Sonoma: Cooking at Home" by Chuck Williams


Recipe Introduction

"For this luxe take on the grilled cheese sandwich, Fontina and prosciutto are layered between slices of crusty bread, then cooked in a hot frying pan until golden. Look for authentic Italian Fontina Val d'Aosta, which has a creamy, nutty flavor."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 8 large slices coarse country bread, each about ½ inch thick
â—¦ 5 to 6 ounces Fontina cheese, sliced
â—¦ 4 thin slices prosciutto, about 2 ounces total weight
â—¦ 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, or 1 ½ teaspoons dried rosemary
â—¦ Olive oil


Recipe

Place four of the bread slices on a work surface. Divide the cheese evenly among them, top the cheese with a slice of prosciutto, and then sprinkle evenly with the rosemary. Cover with the remaining bread slices.

In a large, heavy frying pan, pour in enough oil to film the bottom and place over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add as many sandwiches as will fit comfortably in the pan and cook, pressing down often with a metal spatula, until golden brown on the bottoms, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn over the sandwiches and add more oil to the pan if necessary to prevent scorching. Cook, again pressing down on the sandwiches often, until golden brown on the second sides, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining sandwiches, adding more oil as needed.

Cut the sandwiches on the diagonal and serve right away.

Makes 4 sandwiches