GROWN-UP GOURMET GRILLED CHEESE
(Serves 1) Ingredients:
Two slices of sourdough bread (choose your favorite bread but personally I love the texture and flavor of good sourdough bread. Dean & Deluca makes an excellent loaf.)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 – 3 slices Gou- da cheese (Gouda has the perfect combination between nutty, sharp and that melty factor. You can also use Cantal or a slightly aged, sharp cheddar.) Olive Oil Lots of butter, 2-3 tablespoons minimum Dash of Italian herbs, paprika and cayenne
Procedure:
Heat a nonstick pan on high. Take the bread and smear with the Dijon mustard. Place the cheese. Feel free to adjust the amount, but when it’s too cheesy it gets soggy. Close the sandwich. Drizzle the olive oil in the pan and add a tablespoon of butter. Gently place the sandwich in the pan, making sure that the side down gets coated in butter. Press down for about a minute and flip. Add another tablespoon of butter and coat the other side. Press down again for about a minute and flip. Leave until the other side gets golden and flip and do the same to the other side. Allow some cheese to ooze out and try to have this melt and crust onto the bread. Repeat with the other side. Add a pinch of paprika, Italian herbs and cayenne. Remove from pan, cut into two and serve immediately.
Wine pairing: Pair with a Côte de Roussillon, made with Grenache, Syrah and Carignan. Plush, juicy ripe red and black fruit, a touch of tobacco and a bit of spice — a perfect, easy drinking match to the savory, cheesy, buttery bite.