Goat Cheese en Carrozza with Garlic Scape Pesto and Preserved Tomato Vinaigrette

Recipe by Paul Kahan of One Off Hospitality Group (including The Publican, avec, and Blackbird, among other iconic Chicago establishments). These garlicky, crunchy goat cheese sandwiches are served with a chunky tomato vinaigrette for dipping or spooning over as you eat!

Goat Cheese en Carrozza

Ingredients

• 3 eggs

• Kosher salt and black pepper

• 2 cups panko bread crumbs

• 8 slices pan de mie or brioche, crusts cut off carefully to form a 3.5” x 3.5” sandwich

• ¾ pound Capriole goat cheese

• ¼ pound low moisture mozzarella grated coarse on a box grater

• Olive oil for frying

• 2 Tbsp. Pesto (garlic scape pesto recipe below), or use good quality store bought.

• Preserved tomato vinaigrette (recipe below)

First, prepare pesto and tomato vinaigrette.

Next, beat the eggs in a shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper.

In a second bowl, add the breadcrumbs and season with salt and pepper as well. Combine the goat cheese and grated mozzarella. Mix well.

Next, smear 4 bread slices with thin layer of pesto.

Smear the other four slices with a nice layer of goat cheese no more than ¼ inch thick. Form a sandwich with one slice of each. Press down gently to avoid the fillings from squeezing out. 

Next carefully dip each sandwich, both sides and the edges, in the egg, followed by the breadcrumbs. Place dipped sandwiches on a plate and refrigerate for at least a half hour, but no longer than 3 hours.

Finally, heat a ¼ inch of olive oil in a medium skillet. Oil is ready when a few crumbs thrown in bubble gently. Fry sandwiches, turning once until each side and edges are golden brown. Let cool on paper towels for a few minutes, slice in half and serve with tomato vinaigrette on the side.

Preserved Tomato Vinaigrette

The star of this recipe is Italian semi dried cherry tomatoes in olive oil. A great condiment to keep in your fridge to add a blast of flavor to just about anything…

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. semi dried cherry tomatoes, halved

• ½ cup oil from jar, or extra virgin olive oil

• 1½ Tbsp. white balsamic

• 1 Tbsp. minced shallot

• ½ tsp. salt

Combine in jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake to combine.

Garlic Scape Pesto

A short seasonal offering from the farmers market, scapes when young make a terrific pesto.

Ingredients

• 1 cup scapes, sliced into chunks. Approx 10-12 scapes

• ¼ cup toasted pine nuts

• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese 

• ½ cup basil leaves

• Juice of 1 lemon

First, place scapes in a food processor and pulse for 30 seconds.

Next, add pine nuts and olive oil and buzz for another 30 seconds. 

Finish with Parmesan cheese, basil and lemon juice and process until you reach desired consistency. I like it a bit coarse. Leftover pesto can be frozen.