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Hot fried fingers with mozzarella and prosciutto


I served these the other night as a pre dinner snack the other night .... they went pretty quick. They are best eaten whilst they are piping hot.

Heres Lucy Boyd's recipe from the lovely book ' Kitchen Memories'
Serves 4
When I lived in Florence I sometimes used to go and sit and chat to Leo, who was the head barman at Harry’s Bar. He would make me a very sour whiskey sour and then produce a little plate of hot fried sandwiches, made with some sort of melting cheese and ham cut into fingers.
This is very quick and easy and a delicious hot bite to have with a cocktail.
1 cup milk
6 slices of white bread such as Pugliese or San Francisco (a bread that is not too crumbly and has some elasticity to its texture), crusts removed
1 medium-size ball of good-quality mozzarella, drained and cut into slices ½cm thick
3-4 slices of prosciutto or speck (ask the deli to slice from near the end of the prosciutto, if possible, where the flavour is more intense and sweet and the slices are smaller)
2-3 tbsp olive oil for frying
Pour the milk into a bowl and dip the bread in briefly, then tap any excess milk away on the side of the bowl – the bread should be damp but not soggy. Place slices of the mozzarella on a slice of bread and season with a little black pepper, then place a slice of the prosciutto or speck over the cheese – you may need to tear it to fit.
Place another piece of milky bread over the filling to form a sandwich and press together. Make as many as will fit in the frying-pan in one go.
Heat enough olive to coat the bottom of the frying-pan. When the oil is hot, place the sandwiches in the pan and cook for a minute or so until golden. You may want to turn the heat down a bit to prevent burning.
Then, using a spatula, flip the sandwiches over, press the top down and cook until golden and the mozzarella has melted – about another minute or two.
Transfer to kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil, then place on a board and cut into wide fingers. Serve immediately.

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