After visiting Prague for spring break, I learned a lot about the cuisine. Czech diet 101: the Czech diet consists mostly of meat, potatoes, cabbage and cheese. One of their delicacies is this fried cheese sandwich with garlicky herb and lemon mayonnaise.
Photo by Heather Harris
This delicious dish is commonly sold on street carts and is a cultural staple. If you ask me, street food is the best way to get a feel for a neighborhood’s attitude towards food, and this fried cheese sandwich with savory mayo brought me to a happy place. So, I wanted to bring to you all the same happiness–you can make this sandwich from the comfort of your own home!
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Servings: 2
Photo by Heather Harris
Ingredients:
Amped up Mayo
A few shakes of fennel seed (very potent flavor, use sparingly)
¼ teaspoon fresh thyme
5 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon of lemon zest
Juice from ¼ lemon
½ garlic clove, finely chopped
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
Salt and pepper, to taste
Gooey Fried Cheese
1 small mozzarella cut into 1/2 inch slices
3/4 cup oil
½ cup flour
2 eggs
3/4 cup plain breadcrumb
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
Herbs de Province
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 buns (any, but a Kaiser Roll with sesame seeds is most traditional)
Directions:
1. In a bowl combine the fennel seed, thyme, basil, chopped garlic, lemon zest and juice and mayo. Add salt and pepper to taste, and set aside.
Photo by Heather Harris
2. Whisk together two eggs in a bowl, and place flour and breadcrumb in their own bowls.
Photo by Heather Harris
3. To the breadcrumbs, add the Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and herbs de Province, or any substitution discussed in my previous article “3 Ways to Upgrade Your Movie Snack”. If you really don’t want to do this at all you can always buy pre-seasoned breadcrumbs.
4. Add oil to a frying pan and heat over medium heat.
5. Dip mozzarella slices in flour, then egg and finally breadcrumbs.
Photo by Heather Harris
6. Place mozzarella slices in pan. Cook each side about 2 minutes, or until golden brown. This should take no more than 5 minutes total.
Photo by Heather Harris
7. Place mozzarella on plate with a paper towel to drain excess oil.
8. Slice and toast buns.
Photo by Heather Harris
9. Generously coat the top and bottom of each bun with the flavored mayo from before…trust me, be generous. Place 2 slices of fried mozzarella on each bottom bun. Top with fresh basil leaves and cover with other bun.
Photo by Heather Harris
10. Enjoy the lemony, gooey, crunchy masterpiece that is this sandwich.