Apple and Brie Panini

Needing a quick and easy dinner? Look no further than the simple panini. When we make a batch of the Fresh Herb and Shallot Focaccia Bread, we’ll usually designate one loaf as a side for dinner that evening (and snacking) and plan to use the other loaf for panini (usually filled with leftover grilled pork tenderloin and whatever cheeses may be hanging in our fridge). This recipe is vegetarian and a classic combination of brie and apple. The mustard helps balance out the creamy brie and sweet apples.

Yield: 4 sandwiches

Ingredients

• 1 wedge brie (about 6-7 oz.), thinly sliced

• 1 loaf of focaccia bread, such as one round of the Fresh Herb and Shallot Focaccia Bread

• 1 crisp apple, such as Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, or EverCrisp, cored and thinly sliced

• Coarse/whole grain mustard

• About 3-4 oz. brown shimeji (beech) mushrooms, cut from the base* (optional, but recommended)

• 1 tablespoon butter* (optional)

• 1 lemon wedge* (optional)

• Kosher salt

• Fresh ground black pepper

• Olive oil or cooking spray

• Panini Press (recommended), or a heavy skillet with an extra heavy cast iron skillet or brick wrapped in foil

Instructions

*Optional step - If you’re using the shimeji mushrooms, heat the butter in a small skillet over medium heat until it begins to bubble. Add the mushrooms to the skillet and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Stirring occasionally, cook the mushrooms in the butter until they appear fully cooked - 5-7 minutes or so. Squeeze a little lemon juice over the top, stir, and remove from heat. Set aside.

Begin to heat your panini press. If you’re cooking the panini in a skillet instead, begin to heat your “press.” This can be another heavy cast iron skillet, or a brick wrapped in foil. The skillet can be heated over a burner for a few minutes, or in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes. Similarly, the brick can be heated in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes. The skillet or brick don’t need to be scalding hot - you’re aiming to press the sandwich down when cooking and toast both sides.**

Using a serrated bread knife, cut the loaf of focaccia into quarters and slice each quarter in half (to obtain the top and bottom pieces of your sandwich).

Sketch of how to assemble your apple and brie panini

Assemble the sandwiches by starting with a thin layer of mustard on the bottom slice of focaccia, then some of the brie and apple slices. Try to include both brie and apple in each layer, in a staggered fashion (so that it’s not just a full layer of apple topped with a full layer of brie) - this will help the sandwich stay together when you bite into it. *Optional step - Top with the cooked shimeji mushrooms.

Close up your sandwich with the top slice of focaccia (if you’re a big mustard fan, you can include a thin layer of mustard on the top slice as well).

Lightly coat your panini press or skillet with oil. Cook the sandwich in the press (or on the skillet with the second skillet or foil-wrapped brick on top of the sandwich) until the cheese is melted and the bread is well toasted.

Notes

*Brown shimeji (or beech) mushrooms are very small, light brown mushrooms with white stems, connected together on a base. We can usually find a package of them in our favorite local international market for less than $3. Other than an international market, you can also check your local Asian-specialty market, or (our least favorite option) as part of a “gourmet mushroom pack” that you’d find at Whole Foods or the like (though, you’ll be paying a premium there…). When cooked in butter and finished with a light squeeze of lemon, they offer a wonderful pop of flavor and texture. We sneak them into a variety of dishes - over pasta, soups, and into sandwiches. If you can’t find the brown shimeji mushrooms, don’t fret. You can leave them out of this sandwich, but keep an eye out for them in the future!

**If you really want to simplify the recipe, you can also skip this altogether and instead just cook the panini in a skillet and press down on it firmly with a metal spatula. Flip and repeat until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasted.

Apple and brie panini with coarse ground mustard and lemony shimeji mushrooms.