WEEK 19: YOUR BEST “HAM AND CHEESE”

Prosciutto and Fontina Panini with Arugula Pesto

Photography by Sarah Shatz

    BY BIGGIRLPHOEBZ | MAKES 4 SANDWICHES

A&M: This is a sophisticated sandwich with a couple of extra steps that are simple and totally worthwhile. BigGirlPhoebz admitted to a particular fondness for prosciutto and Fontina, adding, “I found that the ultimate complement was a smooth, creamy arugula pesto that leaks into all the notches of the bread, and a scattering of sweet pickled shallots to give the sandwich some acidity.”

    SANDWICH

    ¼ cup cider vinegar

    2 tablespoons sugar

    ½ teaspoon salt

    1 large shallot, thinly sliced

    1 ciabatta loaf, sliced in half lengthwise

    ¹/₃ pound Fontina, thinly sliced

    ¹/₃ pound prosciutto (about 10 slices)

    PESTO

    ¼ cup toasted pine nuts

    2 garlic cloves, peeled

    2 cups packed baby arugula

    Juice of ½ lemon

    ½ teaspoon salt

    ¼ cup olive oil

1. To make the pickled shallots: Bring the cider vinegar, sugar, and salt to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer for a minute until the sugar has dissolved, then pour the hot liquid over the shallots in a small bowl or jar so they are fully submerged. Allow to sit for 20 minutes, then place in an airtight container until ready for use. This can be done up to a week ahead.
2. To make the pesto: In a small food processor, pulse the pine nuts and garlic until coarsely chopped. Add the arugula, lemon juice, and salt and pulse to combine. Stream in the olive oil and continue to blend until all the ingredients are finely chopped and the pesto is smooth and creamy. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary.
3. Turn on the broiler. Place the two ciabatta halves, crust side down, on a baking sheet and toast for 3 to 5 minutes until the bread is beginning to crisp but not totally browned. Slather the bottom half of the bread evenly with pesto and arrange the cheese slices in a single layer on top. Return just this slice of bread to the oven and continue to toast until the cheese has melted, 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Slather the other slice of bread with the remaining pesto and arrange the pickled shallots on top, followed by the prosciutto. Sandwich the halves together.
5. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Depending on the size of your pan and the size of the ciabatta, you may have to cut the sandwich in half. Set the sandwich, top side down, in the pan and weight it with a smaller skillet and/or a heavy bowl so that the bread is flattened as it toasts. When the bread has browned, repeat on the other side. When finished, the panini should be browned, crisped, and flattened, and should have cheese oozing from it. Toast the remaining half (if necessary), and then cut it again to create 4 sandwiches.

Photography by Sarah Shatz

    TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

    BigGirlPhoebz calls for baby arugula, but good, meaty leaves from the greenmarket worked well, too.

        If you can’t find Fontina, a mild melting cheese like mozzarella or Muenster would be a good substitute.

    ABOUT THE COOK

    Phoebe Lapine is one-half of the duo that writes the blog Big Girls, Small Kitchen (www.biggirIssmallkitchen.com). The other half is Cara Eisenpress, or SmallKitchCara as we know her at Food52—you can see her recipe Secret Ingredient Beef Stew. The two published their first book, In the Small Kitchen, in 2011.

    WHAT THE COMMUNITY SAID

    Pete: “To be honest, I never cook; I leave that up to my amazing wife, Sonali (a fellow Food52 member and previous winner). However, the other night she was working late, so I figured I’d try to surprise her and give this recipe a whirl. It was a smashing success—the panini were delicious! Not only did I impress her, but I also gave myself a big confidence boost in the kitchen. Who knew I could make pickled shallots and arugula pesto! Thanks for the great recipe!”