Mozzarella in carrozza

The name of this indulgent tv dinner means literally "Mozzarella in carriages". Lawson describes them as "Italian food before Tuscan rustic chic". Basically, this fatty treat consists of fried, eggy mozzarella sandwiches. The melting blobs of goo are not only delicious, but also tremendous fun to eat. I can recommend an accompaniment of tomato sauce to dip in. This adds to the regressional quality of the food.

• 6 slices white bread, crusts removed
• 1 ball mozzarrella, cut into approx. half-centimetre slices, then strips
• 125 ml full-fat-milk
• 3 heaped table spoons plain (or better still Italian 00) flour
• 1 egg
• salt and pepper
• olive oil (not extra-virgin) for frying

1. Make sandwiches with the bread and mozzarella. Leave a small margin around the edges so that you can press them together with your fingers to seal.
2. Pour the milk into one soup bowl, the flour into a second, and beat the egg with the salt and pepper in a third bowl.
3. Warm the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat.
4. One by one, dunk the sandwiches briefly in the milk, then dredge in the flour, and finally dip into the beaten egg.
5. Fry in the hot oil on each side until crisp and golden, and remove to a kitchen towel.
6. Halve each sandwich (optional) and dip in sauce, before following Nigella Lawson's instruction to "apply to face".