Belle of the Ball

There are panini books, panini blogs, panini Web sites. Restaurants that prepare them the old-fashioned way, with a panini press. Quick-service bars that serve microwaved frozen panini. Fast-food panini. Panini in your grocer’s freezer.

Purists would argue that the proper way to prepare panini is in a panini grill, as Italian paninari have done for decades. But don’t let that deter you from trying this at home; perfectly acceptable panini can be produced in grill pans, on outdoor grills — even in a skillet, if you don’t mind the absence of the characteristic parallel lines.

So why are panini so popular?

"I truly believe it’s a combination between the hot and cold," said Jeff Ecker, corporate general manager for Paymon’s Mediterranean Cafes and Bistro. The ingredients in the center of the sandwich — turkey, maybe, or cheese — are cold, as in a traditional sandwich, he said, but "panini break that tradition by having a toasted roll that is grilled in such a way that makes it slightly crispy on the outside yet keeps the integrity of the sandwich on the inside."

Paymon’s started offering panini last year as a special at its Sahara Avenue location, Ecker said. They were so popular that they’re now on the menu there and at the flagship Maryland Parkway Paymon’s and the new Paymon’s Mediterranean Bistro in the downtown Arts District.

Georgette Tomsick knows something about the popularity of panini as well. She’s chef/manager of ‘wichcraft at the MGM Grand, which sells 6,000 to 7,000 panini a month — about half of the sandwiches sold there.

She thinks panini are so appealing because they’re quick and not terribly expensive.

"It’s a sandwich, it’s warm, you can travel with it and walk with it and eat it and it doesn’t fall all over the place," Tomsick said. Especially during this downturn, she added, people are looking for value without resorting to fast-food chain restaurants.

Tomsick said there are seven panini on the ‘wichcraft list. The most popular is chicken breast, roasted red pepper, mozzarella cheese and pesto, on country white bread.

Ecker said of the six panini on the Paymon’s menu, the most popular is grilled chicken pesto, which has garlic pesto mayonnaise, fresh spinach, provolone cheese and roasted red pepper on a ciabatta roll, prepared in a panini press.

There definitely are some similarities there, but panini lend themselves to endless variations. Paymon’s offerings include eggplant Parmesan and turkey with caramelized onions; ‘wichcraft’s include corned beef with sauerkraut and Swiss cheese on rye, and cheddar with smoked ham and apple on pumpernickel.

If you want to make your own panini, you can use any kind of reasonably dense or crusty bread. The bread normally is buttered or brushed with olive oil; cooking spray may be a substitute for those trying to reduce their fat intake. A panini press makes everything much easier because it grills both sides and presses at the same time, but home versions run $100 and more. Another option is a grill pan with accompanying press weight. If you use a skillet or your outdoor grill, use another skillet or other heavy pan as a weight.

As for fillings? The possibilities truly are unlimited. Here are a few recipes for inspiration.

 

CLASSIC ITALIAN PANINI

WITH PROSCIUTTO AND FRESH MOZZARELLA

 

1 (12-ounce) loaf french bread, cut in half horizontally

1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fresh mozzarella cheese, divided

2 ounces very thin slices prosciutto

2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced

Cooking spray

Hollow out top and bottom halves of bread, leaving a 1/2-inch-thick shell (reserve torn bread for another use). Spread 2 tablespoons mayonnaise over cut side of each bread half. Sprinkle basil and 1/2 cup cheese on bottom half of loaf. Top evenly with prosciutto, tomato slices and remaining cheese. Cover with top half of loaf. Cut filled loaf crosswise into 4 equal pieces.

Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add sandwiches to pan. Place a cast-iron or other heavy skillet on top of sandwiches; press gently to flatten sandwiches. Cook 3 minutes on each side or until bread is toasted (leave cast-iron skillet on sandwiches while they cook).

Serves 4.

— Recipe from Cooking Light magazine

 

GRILLED SUMMER

VEGETABLE PANINI

 

2 large or 3 medium portabella mushroom caps

2 large or 3 medium red or green bell peppers, or a mixture

Olive oil for spraying

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

16 pitted kalamata olives (or the olives of your choice), coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons drained capers

Salt, to taste

1/2 cup goat cheese

Baby spinach leaves or the greens of your choice

8 to 10 slices of your favorite sturdy sandwich bread

Wash the mushrooms. Wash the peppers, leaving them whole.

Brush or spray the vegetables with oil and grill or broil until the mushrooms have softened and darkened a bit and the peppers are nicely charred all over. Remove from the grill or oven. Set the mushrooms aside; place the peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

After 15 minutes, or as soon as the peppers are cool enough to handle, remove the stem and seeds and peel away the charred skin. It should come off fairly easily, in large pieces. If it doesn’t, don’t fuss; just get off as much skin as you can.

Dice the mushrooms and peppers into 1/2-inch to 1-inch strips or squares; a pair of scissors does a nice job here. Place the vegetables in a bowl.

Stir in the garlic, olives and capers plus salt to taste; the capers may make the mixture salty enough for you.

Spray or brush one side of each slice of bread with olive oil. Place the slices, oiled sides down, on a clean work surface or piece of parchment (for easiest cleanup).

Spread the bare side of each piece of bread with a thin layer of goat cheese.

Divide the filling among the sandwiches, spreading it atop the cheese on half the pieces of bread.

Top the filling with the greens of your choice– a bit of soft romaine, baby spinach leaves, arugula, etc. Place the remaining pieces of bread, cheese side down, atop the greens. You’ll now have sandwiches that are brushed with olive oil, top and bottom.

Cook the sandwiches in a panini grill until they’re browned and the filling is heated through. Alternatively, fry them as you would grilled cheese sandwiches. Or grill them on your outdoor grill.

Cut in half and serve warm.

Serves 4 to 5.

— Recipe from King Arthur Flour

 

CHICKEN SALAD PANINI

21/2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast

1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise

2 tablespoons bacon bits

1 green onion, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons light ranch dressing

8 slices multigrain bread

1 tomato, cut into 8 thin slices

4 slices reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese

Mix chicken, mayonnaise, bacon bits, green onions and dressing; spread onto 4 bread slices. Top with tomatoes, cheese and remaining bread.

Cook in preheated grill pan or skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium heat 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown on both sides.

Serves 4.

— Recipe from Kraft foods

 

BANANA AND NUTELLA PANINI

 

3 ripe bananas, sliced

12 slices whole-wheat bread

1 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread (recommended: Nutella)

16 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Place the bananas in a bowl and mash until smooth.

Place the slices of bread on a flat surface and spread each slice with some of the hazelnut spread. Spread the mashed banana over 6 of the slices and combine the slices to make 6 sandwiches.

Heat the grill to medium-high.

Spread 1 side of each sandwich with some of the butter and place on the grill, buttered-side down. Grill until golden brown. Spread the remaining butter on the bread facing up, flip over and continue grilling until golden brown. Remove from the grill and sprinkle with the confectioners’ sugar. Eat immediately.

Serves 6.

— Recipe from the Food Network

Contact reporter Heidi Knapp Rinella at hrinella@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0474.