Panino, or Panini (plural) seem to be the newest craze in the city. They are an amazing sandwich that is usually made from either ciabatta or focaccia bread, and can be served either hot or cold and are usually stuffed with meat or vegetables.
In Italian, ciabatta means “slipper,” leading some people to call the bread “slipper bread.” The name is a reference to the shape, which does sort of resemble a slipper. Ciabatta bread tends to be short, wide, and long, which makes it ideally suited to sandwiches. It is also offered with olive oils and other dips, since the crumb absorbs dips and liquids very well, and it may be toasted when served for this purpose
Focaccia is a flat oven-baked Italian bread, which may be topped with onions, herbs or other foodstuffs, related to pizza. It is a bit softer than ciabatta, and outside of Italy it is primarily used as sandwich bread.
Both of these breads are readily available at Thrifty’s, Sobeys or your favorite grocery store or bakery. I have been making these sandwiches for about 10 years now and am surprised that they have taken so long to catch on. They are quite simple to make and definitely add a new twist to the standard sandwich.
If you wish to make these sandwiches using Smoked Salmon, Prosciutto or mayonnaise they should be served cold with the bread slightly toasted on the outside. Smoked salmon and prosciutto have already been cured and should never be heated up. Mayo will just not stand up to the heat and will separate, creating a horrendous sandwich.
BABY SHRIMP PANINO
3 c Baby Shrimp
Mayo/ricotta mix
Focaccia
Romaine Lettuce
Mayo/Ricotta mix
250 ml Mayo
250 ml Ricotta cheese
1 tsp Fennel, roasted and then crushed by hand
Salt and pepper
Mix together
Add desired amount to the shrimp.
VEGETABLE PANINO
1 ea Zucchini, small dice
1 bunch Asparagus
1 ea Bell Pepper
Handful of brown mushrooms, sliced
Pesto
Mayonnaise
Mozza, grated
In a sauté pan, over med heat add oil and garlic. Saute the garlic for a couple of minutes. Add salt, pepper, basil and oregano and sauté for approximately another minute.
Add your zucchini, asparagus and pepper. Sauté until they are almost cooked then add your mushrooms. Sauté until mushrooms are almost soft, add a wee bit of white wine. Allow wine to evaporate and remove from heat. Place in a colander and allow the moisture to drain and cool.
Mix pesto and mayo together for the spread. (I usually add equal amounts of pesto and mayo)
Spread pesto/mayo mix on ciabatta and add your vegetables. Sprinkle a bit of mozza cheese on top.
For those of use with nut allergies, Knorr makes a great pesto product that does not contain nuts.
