Recipe: Mozzarella in carrozza, by Pamela Yung
A snack food for the masses, mozzarella in carrozza is traditionally made with leftovers

A snack food for the masses in much of southern Italy, mozzarella in carrozza is traditionally made with leftovers – dried slices of bread; yesterday’s mozzarella; the breadcrumbs that make a cameo in nearly every dish in cucina povera. I make my own version at my London restaurant Flor, says Pamela Yung, with the cheeky addition of incredibly delicious ’nduja.
Ingredients: serves 2
- 250g ball of high-quality buffalo mozzarella
- 4 slices of stale bread (at Flor, we use a house-made milk bread)
- ’nduja (I suggest purchasing it from my friend Giuseppe at De Calabria in Borough Market)
- drizzle of honey
- sprinkle of dried Sicilian oregano
- 300g plain flour
- 3 eggs
- splash of milk, plus extra to brush
- 300g fine breadcrumbs or panko breadcrumbs
- vegetable or sunflower oil, to deep-fry
- 8 good-quality anchovies
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
- Slice your mozzarella into 1cm planks and carefully dab them between sturdy paper towels to remove excess moisture. Arrange 2 slices of the bread face up and, using a butter knife, spread a thin layer of ’nduja onto each slice.
- Follow with a generous drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of oregano on each. Trim your mozzarella to fit within ¾cm/¼in of the bread’s perimeter and lay it flat onto the slices. Season with sea salt.
- Layer the second pieces of bread on top of each slice. Use a pastry brush dipped in milk to moisten the perimeter of the top slice of bread – this will help with adhesion. Using your palm, carefully and evenly apply pressure to create a “seal” around the mozzarella. With a serrated knife, trim the crusts from the sandwich. Apply pressure once more to ensure a closed edge.
- Prepare to bread the sandwiches. In three separate bowls, place the plain flour (seasoned with salt and pepper); the eggs, lightly whisked with the splash of milk; and the breadcrumbs. Take a sandwich and coat it completely (both sides and four edges) with plain flour. Next, moisten entirely with the egg mixture – no dry spots should remain. Finally, coat it well in the breadcrumbs.
- Fill a large, deep pot with a few inches of oil and heat to 180°C. Drop the sandwich into the oil and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side, until golden. Repeat the breading and frying process with the other sandwich, then plate up and drape over the anchovies. These sandwiches are best savoured hot, when the cheese pulls in the prized al telefono fashion.
Taken from The Female Chef: Stories and recipes from 31 women redefining the British food scene by Clare Finney and Liz Seabrook, published by Hoxton Mini Press at £28. To buy from The Week Bookshop for £21.99, call 020-3176 3835 or visit theweekbookshop.co.uk
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Flying into danger
Feature America's air traffic control system is in crisis. Can it be fixed?
-
Pocket change: The demise of the penny
Feature The penny is being phased out as the Treasury plans to halt production by 2026
-
Time's up: The Democratic gerontocracy
Feature The Democratic party is losing key seats as they refuse to retire aging leaders
-
A city of culture in the high Andes
The Week Recommends Cuenca is a must-visit for those keen to see the 'real Ecuador'
-
Green goddess salad recipe
The Week Recommends Avocado can be the creamy star of the show in this fresh, sharp salad
-
Ancient India: living traditions – 'ethereal and sensual' exhibition
The Week Recommends Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism are explored in show that remains 'remarkably compact'
-
6 well-preserved homes built in the 1930s
Feature Featuring a restored 1934 colonial in Arizona and a cold-storage warehouse turned loft in New York City
-
Things in Nature Merely Grow: memoir of 'harsh beauty' after loss
The Week Recommends Chinese-American novelist Yiyun Li's 'devastating' memoir explores the deaths of her two sons
-
Sirens: entertaining satire on the lives of the ultra-wealthy stars Julianne Moore
The Week Recommends This 'blackly comic affair' unfurls at a 'breakneck speed'
-
Mrs Warren's Profession: 'tour-de-force' from Imelda Staunton and daughter Bessie Carter
The Week Recommends Mother-daughter duo bring new life to George Bernard Shaw's morality play
-
Critics' choice: Steak houses that break from tradition
Feature Eight hours of slow-roasting prime rib, a 41-ounce steak, and a former Catholic school chapel turned steakhouse