For some reason, grilled cheese has been on my mind lately. I can’t stop thinking about one of the best grilled cheese sandwiches I’ve ever had. It was in Italy; read on for details.
This week I decided to give into the temptation and make as many kinds of melted cheese sandwiches as I could think of. One sandwich was based on a similar one I tried in Italy, another on a classic Italian salad, and the third was inspired by one of my friends.
I hope you enjoy the recipes, and I challenge you to mix it up next time you’re preparing a classic ““ you just might be able to think of a way to make it gourmet.
“The Protein”
The first and only time I have ever encountered a fried egg in a grilled cheese sandwich was at a paninoteca called the Oil Shoppe in Florence, Italy. Since then, the idea has stuck in my head as a prime example of a simple but gourmet sandwich.
It really makes sense if you think about it. Egg on toast is a classic American breakfast, and I rarely make scrambled eggs without mixing in at least a bit of sharp cheddar. Putting the two together yields a shockingly tasty result.
My friends and roommates, at least, rated this iteration as the best out of the three I made for this column. Start by buttering ““ you can use margarine with no difference in taste ““ two slices of sourdough bread and heating up both a small pan and a large pan on the stove.
Pour some olive oil in the bottom of the small pan, and crack in an egg ““ followed immediately with generous portions of salt and pepper.
While the egg cooks, place one slice of bread ““ buttered side down ““ in the larger pan. You should hear a very light sizzle. If the pan is too hot, the bread will burn before the heat melts the cheese.
For this recipe I used an aged English coastal cheddar from Trader Joe’s, but a regular cheddar would work just as well.
Place a hand full of grated cheese on the slice of bread immediately after it hits the pan, and turn your attention back to the frying egg. When the egg starts to bubble a bit around the edges, it’s probably ready to flip. With a sharp, deliberate motion, flip the egg in the pan, but be careful not to get hot oil anywhere it will do damage. As the egg finishes cooking, the cheese should start to melt slightly, and the bread should be slowly toasting. When the egg is done scoop it out of the pan and place it on top of the melting cheese on the sandwich.
Place the other slice of bread, butter on top, on the sandwich and flip it. Give it another few minutes to toast up on the bottom, and enjoy.
“The Italian”
This is another sandwich inspired by my trip to Italy. It’s based on the classic caprese salad, traditionally composed of slices of mozzarella cheese, thick slices of fresh tomato, and whole basil leaves drizzled with good olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Since the flavors are already classic, I thought it would make a great combination for a sandwich, and it did. I’m watching my figure, so I used low-fat mozzarella cheese and whole wheat bread, and found the result very good. Do yourself a favor and don’t buy fresh mozzarella cheese for this sandwich. It’s a bit messy and a pain to deal with when you’re working fast or trying to melt it.
I bought the pre-grated kind and, other than being a little drier, I didn’t notice a real difference in taste. If you’re making a non-cooked version of this sandwich ““ which is also good ““ I would recommend buying the fresh cheese. To prep, slice your tomato, making sure you have enough to cover the sandwich. Then butter one side each of two slices of bread, and get a pan heating up on the stove.
Place a slice of bread in the pan, and pile on the cheese. When it starts to melt a bit, add the tomato, then the second slice of bread, and flip.
“The Peach”
This sandwich isn’t inspired by a trip to Italy, and doesn’t include a peach ““ it’s inspired by my friend, Peach. I was over at her apartment quite late the other night, and she dazzled me by making a grilled cheese sandwich with mushrooms and onions. I used a white onion, cremini mushrooms and gouda cheese for my version.
Start by slicing an onion in half, then in half again. When you slice the quartered onion, you should get long, thin strips. You shouldn’t need to slice more than half of the onion ““ probably less, depending on how large it is.
Prepare your mushrooms by rubbing the dirt off with a damp cloth or paper towel, and slicing them thickly. Slice a few more than you think you need because they shrink when cooked.
Heat some olive oil in a pan and toss in the onion and mushrooms. Keep the heat on the low end of medium-low for several minutes, and you should slowly see the onions turn translucent, then caramelize. The mushrooms will turn a dark color and get smaller as they sweat the liquid in them. When the mushrooms finish sweating, add in some salt and pepper, and turn the heat to very low.
Heat up another pan, and place in a buttered slice of sourdough bread. Layer on two thick slices of gouda cheese, then scoop up the mushrooms and onions and place them on the cheese. Add on your other buttered slice of bread and flip it when the underside turns brown. Wait a few minutes, and enjoy.
If you like gouda and peaches, e-mail Pesce at apesce@media.ucla.edu.