- Thread starter
- #61
That looks great Dave.
Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Thread starter DoctorShavegood
- Start date
Thank you Aaron!
dave
dave
That borders on pornography! Will have to try it, looks ideal post snow shoveling. I add meat to the grilled cheese ones I make as well. Usually a slice of Virginia ham or soppressata salami. That's the beauty of these, no wrong answer.
Now you Americans may believe you know a thing or two about 'Grilled Cheese', or Toasties they're called in English. So as a disclaimer I will just point out that I am here to educate and not admonish, when I tell you about the Greatest Cheese Toastie in the World...
The greatest cheese toastie in the world is made by a cheesemaker called Kappacasein, available from a small van in London's Borough Market. It is the stuff of legend; spoken about in hushed and reverent tones by those who know, and this is a twist on it. Because a cheese toastie must be twistable, there is no place for undue proscription or didacticism in the world of grilled sandwiches. Yet also we'll see that certain rules may not be bent, and must be observed, otherwise chaos and pandemonium would ensue.
---
Ingredients:
Cheese - To a certain extent this a blank canvas, and you may choose whatever favourite cheeses you have to hand, just don't go too wild and put Ricotta in it or anything. The only rules are these; there must be at least two, and they need to play off each other. One should be milder the other stronger, and they should melt differently. This will your sandwich added complexity, both in taste and in texture. Here I have chosen Gruyere, and Provolone Dolce.
Bread - The Kappacasein toastie is made with bread from the Parisian Poilane bakery, though any good quality sourdough will work. HOWEVER... it is also the most important part of the entire ensemble, and the success or failure of the sandwich rests overwhelmingly on this matter: It must be stale. At least a day old, preferably two or three. Fresh bread will not do.
Pancetta - This is my twist. It is not traditional, and may be omitted. Other things may be added according to your level of experience and/or kookiness. Remembering of course that tomato does not belong in a toastie.
Alliums - Garlic in non-negotiable, minced. In addition to that; leeks and onions, scallions are acceptable too. Today I only had red onion, finely diced.
---
Method:
The eagle-eyed among you will have noticed that in the picture above, there is not enough cheese. I realised this as soon as I began to assemble the sandwich, so added more. This is enough cheese (just):
Naturally we want to cook this in animal fat; butter ideally, but I had just fried some Pancetta, so this was cooked in pork fat. With added butter. If you are cooking your toastie with one of those fancy grilled-cheese-sandwich gizmos, then obviously you need to butter the outside of your bread.
And if you are cooking it in a pan - you need pressure:
The temperature must be neither too cold, nor too hot. Think about what cheeses you have used, and how you will best fulfil their potential. We can see here the importance of a melting cheese like Provolone, and it's proper treatment:
At the end of course... your cheese toastie will look just like any other cheese toastie - unremarkable to the layperson or casual observer. But it will be the Greatest Cheese Toastie in the World.
The greatest cheese toastie in the world is made by a cheesemaker called Kappacasein, available from a small van in London's Borough Market. It is the stuff of legend; spoken about in hushed and reverent tones by those who know, and this is a twist on it. Because a cheese toastie must be twistable, there is no place for undue proscription or didacticism in the world of grilled sandwiches. Yet also we'll see that certain rules may not be bent, and must be observed, otherwise chaos and pandemonium would ensue.
---
Ingredients:
Cheese - To a certain extent this a blank canvas, and you may choose whatever favourite cheeses you have to hand, just don't go too wild and put Ricotta in it or anything. The only rules are these; there must be at least two, and they need to play off each other. One should be milder the other stronger, and they should melt differently. This will your sandwich added complexity, both in taste and in texture. Here I have chosen Gruyere, and Provolone Dolce.
Bread - The Kappacasein toastie is made with bread from the Parisian Poilane bakery, though any good quality sourdough will work. HOWEVER... it is also the most important part of the entire ensemble, and the success or failure of the sandwich rests overwhelmingly on this matter: It must be stale. At least a day old, preferably two or three. Fresh bread will not do.
Pancetta - This is my twist. It is not traditional, and may be omitted. Other things may be added according to your level of experience and/or kookiness. Remembering of course that tomato does not belong in a toastie.
Alliums - Garlic in non-negotiable, minced. In addition to that; leeks and onions, scallions are acceptable too. Today I only had red onion, finely diced.
---
Method:
The eagle-eyed among you will have noticed that in the picture above, there is not enough cheese. I realised this as soon as I began to assemble the sandwich, so added more. This is enough cheese (just):
Naturally we want to cook this in animal fat; butter ideally, but I had just fried some Pancetta, so this was cooked in pork fat. With added butter. If you are cooking your toastie with one of those fancy grilled-cheese-sandwich gizmos, then obviously you need to butter the outside of your bread.
And if you are cooking it in a pan - you need pressure:
The temperature must be neither too cold, nor too hot. Think about what cheeses you have used, and how you will best fulfil their potential. We can see here the importance of a melting cheese like Provolone, and it's proper treatment:
At the end of course... your cheese toastie will look just like any other cheese toastie - unremarkable to the layperson or casual observer. But it will be the Greatest Cheese Toastie in the World.
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EclipseRedRing
I smell like a Christmas pudding
I'll take two, and don't forget the Marmite. Seriously, that looks awesome 
If he makes two, only one will be "the Greatest Cheese Toastie in the World"TM ...
Two people separated by a common language
Use a waffle maker as well to make a great grilled cheese, biggest trick is to use a mister of spread olive oil instead of butter on outside of bread. Light and crispy without that burnt butter taste and smell.
Toasted pimento cheese and ham....
White bread, Kraft singles, cooked a little dark but not burnt. Dipped in French's yellow mustard.
I can't do it any other way.
Maybe some tomato soup if I'm in the mood.
I can't do it any other way.
Maybe some tomato soup if I'm in the mood.
I like to make mine with a little mustard, a nice sharp cheddar and thin slices of Granny Smith apples. The lady of the house replaces the mustard with fig jam.
Two people separated by a common language
Haha... indeed! Remains as true today as when it was first written/said
.There is certainly something to be said for this kind of stark simplicity, especially if hungover. And my sister won't eat any kind of toastie without Heinz Tomato Soup.
Apple on the side, or in the toastie?!?!!
The latter sounds like creative experimentation bordering on the downright zany.
I'll take two, and don't forget the Marmite. Seriously, that looks awesome
Agreed - Marmite and cheese is a very good pairing... dial the salt and umami up to 11!
- Thread starter
- #76
Bump
Shouldn't that be( Burp ) instead 
A post now for some of the more advanced followers of this thread, those possessed of true toastie aficion...
---
It was perhaps five years ago that my sister and I decided to invite some friends round for a 'Cheese Toastie and Negroni' party, and as you can imagine the response was rapid and enthusiastic. So we laid in Campari, red vermouth, gin, several kilos of butter, cheese and bread, and new a Breville-style toasted cheese sandwich maker. While asking our guests to bring anything else they might like to drink, other ingredients of choice with which to accessorise the toasties, and their imaginations.
The whole affair was an unqualified success, and despite quite some deliberation the verdict of the judging panel (me) was unanimous: It was my own toastie that won the day!
---
However before we get onto the main event, some background information may be required. Arguably the greatest crisp (chip) of all time is the Pickled Onion flavour Monster Munch. Multi-time 'World Crisp Champion of the Year' no less:
Now pickled onions and crisps are both natural bedfellows of the cheese toastie, but how to incorporate both into a single sandwich? The answer was as remarkable as it was delicious...
In 2016 this was certainly and experimental toastie, but won immediate acclaim, and has gone on to claim its rightful place in the canon. Beautiful in its elegant simplicity; it involved nothing more than making the cheese, garlic and onion toastie described above, buttering the outside of the bread according to standard protocol, and then coating the whole thing with loads of smushed up Pickled Onion Monster Munch before cooking.
The true greatness of this innovation lies not just in the extra-crunchy POMM coating, but also in its infinite adaptability. The same technique will work happily with any kind of crisp, in the flavour of your choice.
---
I can find only one picture from that momentous day and it's somewhat blurry, possibly due to the size of negronis, but here is the inaugural Cheese and Shallot Toastie, with Pickled Onion Monster Munch Crust:
---
It was perhaps five years ago that my sister and I decided to invite some friends round for a 'Cheese Toastie and Negroni' party, and as you can imagine the response was rapid and enthusiastic. So we laid in Campari, red vermouth, gin, several kilos of butter, cheese and bread, and new a Breville-style toasted cheese sandwich maker. While asking our guests to bring anything else they might like to drink, other ingredients of choice with which to accessorise the toasties, and their imaginations.
The whole affair was an unqualified success, and despite quite some deliberation the verdict of the judging panel (me) was unanimous: It was my own toastie that won the day!
---
However before we get onto the main event, some background information may be required. Arguably the greatest crisp (chip) of all time is the Pickled Onion flavour Monster Munch. Multi-time 'World Crisp Champion of the Year' no less:
Now pickled onions and crisps are both natural bedfellows of the cheese toastie, but how to incorporate both into a single sandwich? The answer was as remarkable as it was delicious...
In 2016 this was certainly and experimental toastie, but won immediate acclaim, and has gone on to claim its rightful place in the canon. Beautiful in its elegant simplicity; it involved nothing more than making the cheese, garlic and onion toastie described above, buttering the outside of the bread according to standard protocol, and then coating the whole thing with loads of smushed up Pickled Onion Monster Munch before cooking.
The true greatness of this innovation lies not just in the extra-crunchy POMM coating, but also in its infinite adaptability. The same technique will work happily with any kind of crisp, in the flavour of your choice.
---
I can find only one picture from that momentous day and it's somewhat blurry, possibly due to the size of negronis, but here is the inaugural Cheese and Shallot Toastie, with Pickled Onion Monster Munch Crust:
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Grilled Cheese Lovers:Do you realize what month April is???
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I could use a GOOD grilled cheese sandwich.
I ordered one for lunch a little while back. It was a cold day, and here was "grilled cheese sandwich with tomato bisque" on the menu. Man, that sounded like it would hit the spot. It came out, and it was more like two pieces of bread that someone had melted cheese on and then, after the cheese had cooled and hardened, put the pieces of bread together as if that would be okay.
To be honest, dipping that bread into the bisque did hit the spot, but it also left me longing for a PROPER grilled cheese sandwich.
I ordered one for lunch a little while back. It was a cold day, and here was "grilled cheese sandwich with tomato bisque" on the menu. Man, that sounded like it would hit the spot. It came out, and it was more like two pieces of bread that someone had melted cheese on and then, after the cheese had cooled and hardened, put the pieces of bread together as if that would be okay.
To be honest, dipping that bread into the bisque did hit the spot, but it also left me longing for a PROPER grilled cheese sandwich.
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