Posted on: Wednesday, September 22, 2004
When happiness is a grilled cheese
By Laura Werlin
Knight Ridder News Service
On the spectrum of gastronomic pleasures, few foods can match the ethereal nature of a grilled cheese sandwich. But even this humblest of foods deserves attention at the stove. There is, in fact, a "best" method for making a grilled cheese so that each sandwich results in the perfect crisp-to-melt ratio.
To start, the bread should be sliced thin, preferably a quarter-inch thick.
Next, the butter should be at room temperature so that you can spread it on the bread to coat the bread evenly and assure that both sides are buttered. This also cuts down on the amount of butter you need, since adding butter to the pan is simply adding more fat and not necessarily more flavor. Two tablespoons of butter for four sandwiches is enough.
Butter is better for a grilled cheese sandwich unless you're making a sandwich in which the ingredients scream for oil, such as a Mediterranean-style grilled cheese sandwich with ingredients such as sun-dried tomatoes and olives.
Choose a good melting cheese: mozzarella, fontina, cheddar, Monterey jack, young gouda, provolone and Swiss, among others.
Grate the cheese rather than slicing it. Sliced cheese has more bulk, which means it needs more heat to bring it to a fully melted stage. More heat means a greater chance of burning the bread before melting the cheese.
For the grilling, a nonstick pan is the way to go. Set the burner on medium to medium-high heat (the latter if your stove, like most, tends not to get too hot too fast). This will cook the bread to a golden brown crunch and melt every strand of cheese inside.
Finally, cover the pan when cooking the first side of the sandwich. When you flip it, remove the cover and press the sandwich firmly with a spatula to compress the bread and maximize the sandwich's contact with the pan. Cook the sandwich for about two more minutes, flip again, and cook for about 30 seconds. Finally, take the sandwich out of the pan and let it rest for about three minutes so that the temperature cools just enough to let the flavors seep in.
THE BEST GRILLED CHEESE
Butter one side of each slice of bread. Place 4 slices on your work surface, buttered sided down. Distribute the cheese evenly over the 4 slices. Place the remaining 4 bread slices on top, buttered-side up.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Put the sandwiches in the skillet (in batches, if necessary), cover and cook for 2 minutes, or until the undersides are golden brown and the cheese has begun to melt. Uncover and turn the sandwiches with a spatula, pressing firmly to flatten them slightly. Cook for 2 minutes or until the undersides are golden brown. Turn the sandwiches again, press with the spatula, and cook for 30 seconds or until the cheese has melted completely. Serve immediately.
Makes 4 sandwiches
• Per serving: 480 calories, 19 g protein, 50 g carbohydrates, 23 g fat, 60 mg cholesterol, 850 mg sodium, 3 g fiber. Calories from fat: 42 percent.
