Cherry Tomato and Mozzarella Panini with Tomato Mayo

By on 27 July 2011 in Main Courses with 11 Comments.

Grilled Tomato Sandwich

Ahh, tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella – the classic combination never gets old!  It’s funny to believe that I had never even heard of a Caprese salad until four years ago…and we had to travel all the way to Capri to discover it! Since then, we’ve started growing our own tomatoes and basil just so we can always have these flavors on hand.

While we wait for our larger tomatoes ripen, cherry tomatoes and basil have been the stars of our garden. We developed this simple grilled sandwich to take advantage of the influx of cherry tomatoes. The addition of the homemade mayonnaise mixed with grilled tomato juice puts it over the top – it’s really quite divine!  Make sure not to skip the mayo – it really makes the sandwich (though if you’re running short on time, you could substitute purchased for homemade.)

We love using our grill as much as possible, but if you don’t have one, you can roast the tomatoes and toast the sandwich over the stovetop using a griddle or grill pan.

What are your favorite ways to play with tomatoes and basil?

Cherry Tomato and Mozzarella Panini with Tomato Mayo
Makes 4 sandwiches

What You Need
8 slices of sandwich bread
4 cups cherry tomatoes
8 slices of mozzarella cheese
Handful of basil
Kosher salt

For the mayonnaise (or, substitute 1/2 cup store-bought mayo)
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pinch of sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Immersion blender or a whisk and a strong arm

What To Do

1  Prepare your grill to medium-high heat*.

2  Prepare the homemade mayonnaise: In an immersion blender cup, combine 1 egg yolk, 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of sugar. Place the immersion blender in the cup, turn it on, and slowly drizzle in 1/2 cup of vegetable oil, letting the mayo thicken before adding too much.

You also can make the mayo with a whisk, but it will take several minutes of strong beating – compared to about 30 seconds with the immersion blender.

3  Grill the tomatoes and bread*: Wash 4 cups of cherry tomatoes. Lightly brush the slices of bread with a bit of oil on each side. Place the tomatoes and bread on the grill and cook with the lid off. Grill the bread until browned (about 1 minute per side), and the tomatoes until they are starting to burst and a little bit charred (about 3 to 5 minutes total).

4  Finish the mayo: Place the tomatoes in a bowl and carefully mash with a potato masher to extract the juice. Drain the tomatoes completely of the juice, reserving the juice in a small bowl. Mix about 2 tablespoons of the juice into the mayonnaise until is has the consistency of a sauce.

5  Assemble the sandwich: Place two slices of mozzarella cheese on a piece of bread. Top with 1/4 of the strained tomatoes, a healthy dollop of mayo (don’t be shy!), some torn up pieces of basil. Sprinkle it all with a pinch of kosher salt and top with another slice of bread.

6  Return the sandwich to the grill and cook until toasty and the cheese is melted, about 2 to 4 minutes. Serve immediately!

*If you don’t have a grill, you can roast the tomatoes for 15 minutes in a 400°F oven and finish the sandwich on a grill pan.

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