Say cheese for a cold winter night
Cheese -- toasted mostly -- is indeed the stuff of dreams, and the reason why so many cultures rich in dairy have fabled versions of cheese served hot and melting: Think fondue and raclette and nachos.
Some, like the French, have institutionalized the toasted cheese sandwich, pairing it with ham and coating it with bechamel sauce for the delicious Croque Monsieur. This sandwich (which loosely translates as “Crunchy Mister”) originated as Parisian bar food around the turn of the 20th century, and was immortalized -- along with the butter cakes known as madeleines -- by none other than Marcel Proust. England has its grilledcheese-and-ham “toastie,” which is called a “tosti” in the Netherlands.
In the United States, we dip the ham-and-cheese sandwich in an egg batter, fry it, and call it a “Monte Cristo.” Historians do not seem to know the origin of the name, but it will probably surprise no one that it is first thought to have been served, in the 1950s, in Southern California. It is often paired with a small side of jam for dipping.
A Vermont dairy company, the Cabot Creamery Cooperative, celebrates the dish with the “VerMonte Cristo.” Cabot, owned by the 1,200 New England and upstate New York farm families of the Agri-Mark Cooperative, produces a line of butter, yogurt, cottage cheese and sour cream, but is probably best known for its cheese, including its award-winning Cheddar.
This recipe calls for sharp Cheddar, but you can take your pick from mild to “seriously sharp”; it will all be good. Aside from the Cheddar, the recipe declares its New England roots with the use of apples and, as a twist on jam, an optional drizzle of warm maple syrup. VER-MONTE CRISTO 1 large egg 1/2-cup half-and-half 1-tablespoon pure vanilla extract
4 slices favorite local bread, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1/2 Granny Smith apple, cored and sliced
1 whole shallot or very small onion, thinly sliced
1-teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar
2 cooked sausage patties or thick slices of ham
Pure maple syrup, warmed, for drizzling (optional)
Whisk together the egg, half-and-half and vanilla in a shallow bowl. Add bread slices, turning to coat with mixture, and set aside to soak.
Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a small skillet set over medium-high heat; add apple slices and shallot or onion, and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 7 to 9 minutes. Add vinegar and cook 1 minute longer. Set aside.
Melt the remaining 1-tablespoon butter in a large skillet set over medium heat. Remove bread slices from egg mixture (discard remaining mixture) and cook 2 minutes on one side.
Take the skillet off heat, and flip two of the bread slices so that the uncooked sides face down. Sprinkle each with 1/4 cup Cheddar; then add sausage patty or ham slice topped with half of the apple mixture. Top each with an additional 1/4-cup Cheddar and a sec- ond slice of bread, cooked side down.
Place the skillet back over medium heat and cook about 2 minutes or until golden on underside. Turn sandwiches over, and cook 2 minutes longer or until golden on second side and cheese is melted. Cut in half, and serve warm, drizzled with warm maple syrup, if desired.
Variation: For a simpler and lighter version called Cheddar Cheese Dreams, make sandwiches first with your choice of bread spread lightly with mustard and topped with thinly sliced Cheddar of your choice and smoked turkey breast. Press sandwiches together firmly. Whisk together 2 eggs with 1/3-cup milk (enough for 4 sandwiches), and briefly soak each side of sandwich in the mixture before cooking in skillet as described above.
(Excerpted from “The CabotCreameryCookbook: Simple, Wholesome Dishes From America’s Best Dairy Farms.” Copyright 2015 Time Home Entertainment Inc. Reprinted with permission from Time Home Entertainment Inc., a division of Time Inc. New York, N.Y. All rights reserved.)