BREAD+BUTTER AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN
Think comfort food, and it’s a good bet that gooey grilled cheese comes to mind.
My heart warms to recall Mum frying sandwiches of American cheese tucked between slices of Town Talk, Pittsburgh’s answer to Wonder Bread. The smell of the butter frying in the pan. The sight of the cheese oozing from where she had split the sandwich with a knife. The crunch of the toasted bread and comfort of the smooth melted cheese in my mouth. The taste was ... love. Does it get any better? Well, yes, it does because of the ready availability today of so many more varieties of bread that toast delightfully and cheeses that melt deliciously. And there are at least three good reasons to have a variety of toasted sandwiches at the front of the recipe box: 1. breakfast; 2. lunch; and 3. dinner.
It’s no news flash that sandwiches are good any time of day. Egg sandwiches on English muffins are ubiquitous for breakfast (thank you, McDonald’s.) Who doesn’t tuck a hamand-Swiss into her lunch box? And cheese burgers on the grill for supper are at least a once-a-week go-to in the warmer times.
But, this story is about grilled/toasted/ melted sandwiches, which implies a couple of things: They will be hot. And they will be crunchy.
When I saw the sandwich-shaped cutout on the cover of “Melts: Over 50 Delicious Toasted & Grilled Sandwich Recipes” by Fern Green (Hardie Grant; April 2017), I had to go through
the cookbook, which is a huckster for a hot and crunchy meal-unto-itself, the sandwich. The author enunciates several points that might seem intuitive, but they deserve conscious recognition:
• A “toastie” must be golden brown and crunchy. Butter will achieve a golden crust. Spiking with herbs or garlic ups the flavor quotient. One little trick up my sleeve is a thin layer of mayo on the outside of the sandwich in place of the butter. Yum.
• Ms. Green advises adding a bit of acidity to a cheesy wonder to make it even more wonderful. Pickled vegetables or something more adventurous like kimchi give delicious results. A slather of mustard works like a charm, too.
• Find the sweet spot in the combination of bread and filling. While some recipes will give a guide, in the end, it’s a matter of personal taste. If the bread is very thickly sliced, add more filling and vice versa.
• Day-old bread is the best to use, regardless of variety. It will cook to crunchiness more easily.
• While toasted sandwich makers and panini presses are clever devices, you needn’t buy one if you don’t have one. Use a skillet, the broiler, toaster or even a waffle iron to make a good toasted sandwich.
• When it comes to selecting the variety of bread, keep a few facts in mind: Sourdough is ideal for a heavily loaded sandwich. “Drippy” sandwiches with sauces or melty cheeses do well on a ciabatta, which crisps nicely on the outside but is fluffy enough on the inside to absorb the liquidy goodness. Multigrain or seed breads pair especially well with creamy fillings for the contrast. Brioche, a soft, slightly sweet bread, follows through nicely on sweet spreads such as jam and chocolate or sliced banana.
Ms. Green notes that some cheeses are better at melting than others, although not all toasted sandwiches demand a supermelty cheese. There are three main categories of cheese: stretchy (as in mozzarella), smooth (cheddar, Gouda or Brie) and nonmelting (ricotta, Parmesan or feta). If you want to be inventive, consult your cheesemonger for advice about good pairings.
One of the best things about toasted sandwiches as a meal is that they can be done ahead. I cooked at least a half-dozen different styles, making multiples of each variety. I allowed them to cool on a wire rack before wrapping them in foil. Then I popped the leftovers in the toaster oven at work. They were hot enough to eat in a few minutes and they were as yummy as the day they were made.