Grilled Cheese
Thomas Keller, Executive Chef, The French Laundry, Napa Valley
It's a few hours before lunch service at Per Se, the New York restaurant that Thomas Keller helms along with its equally acclaimed California counterpart, the French Laundry. The immaculate kitchen is humming with activity as the brigade prepares confits, gelees, and mousses.
I'm standing in the middle of it all, talking to one of the most acclaimed chefs in the country about grilled cheese. Is it sacrilege, I wonder, to ask Thomas Keller to turn his attention to this humble, almost retro sandwich? "Why not?" he asks. "Everyone loves grilled cheese." Of course, defaulting to Kraft Singles and spongy white bread—that would be sacrilege. Keller starts with buttery brioche and selects two cheeses for nuance.
Then he chars mild and spicy peppers and tucks them into the sandwich for a stealth hit of sweetness and heat. A few minutes on the griddle and grown-up grilled cheese is born.
Spicy Pepper, Monterey Jack, and Cheddar Grilled Cheese
What you'll need
1 or 2 jalapeno peppers
1 red bell pepper
Butter, softened at room temperature
4 slices brioche, whole wheat, or sourdough bread (3/4" thick)
8 slices Monterey Jack
8 slices Cheddar
How to make it:
1. Fill a bowl with ice water. Place the peppers on a metal baking sheet, and fire up a small butane torch (we like the Weller Table Top butane torch; $24, sears.com) until the flame burns blue. Carefully blister the skins of the peppers with the blowtorch, turning them with a fork as you work.
2. Pull on a pair of plastic gloves and plunge the peppers into the ice water for a few seconds. Remove them and rub off their skins. Then halve them lengthwise, remove the seeds, and chop them.
3. Heat a cast-iron skillet on medium. For each sandwich, liberally butter both sides of two bread slices. Place two slices of Monterey Jack on one piece of bread; add a heaping tablespoon of the pepper mixture in the middle. Place two slices of Cheddar on the other piece of bread, and put the bread slices together.
4. Place the sandwiches in the skillet over medium heat, and cook until the bread is golden brown and the cheeses melt together, 3 to 5 minutes a side. Cut them in half diagonally and serve with beer. Makes 2 servings
Article source : http://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/grilled-cheese-recipe#ixzz27f3P9M8nIt's a few hours before lunch service at Per Se, the New York restaurant that Thomas Keller helms along with its equally acclaimed California counterpart, the French Laundry. The immaculate kitchen is humming with activity as the brigade prepares confits, gelees, and mousses.
I'm standing in the middle of it all, talking to one of the most acclaimed chefs in the country about grilled cheese. Is it sacrilege, I wonder, to ask Thomas Keller to turn his attention to this humble, almost retro sandwich? "Why not?" he asks. "Everyone loves grilled cheese." Of course, defaulting to Kraft Singles and spongy white bread—that would be sacrilege. Keller starts with buttery brioche and selects two cheeses for nuance.
Then he chars mild and spicy peppers and tucks them into the sandwich for a stealth hit of sweetness and heat. A few minutes on the griddle and grown-up grilled cheese is born.
Spicy Pepper, Monterey Jack, and Cheddar Grilled Cheese
What you'll need
1 or 2 jalapeno peppers
1 red bell pepper
Butter, softened at room temperature
4 slices brioche, whole wheat, or sourdough bread (3/4" thick)
8 slices Monterey Jack
8 slices Cheddar
How to make it:
1. Fill a bowl with ice water. Place the peppers on a metal baking sheet, and fire up a small butane torch (we like the Weller Table Top butane torch; $24, sears.com) until the flame burns blue. Carefully blister the skins of the peppers with the blowtorch, turning them with a fork as you work.
2. Pull on a pair of plastic gloves and plunge the peppers into the ice water for a few seconds. Remove them and rub off their skins. Then halve them lengthwise, remove the seeds, and chop them.
3. Heat a cast-iron skillet on medium. For each sandwich, liberally butter both sides of two bread slices. Place two slices of Monterey Jack on one piece of bread; add a heaping tablespoon of the pepper mixture in the middle. Place two slices of Cheddar on the other piece of bread, and put the bread slices together.
4. Place the sandwiches in the skillet over medium heat, and cook until the bread is golden brown and the cheeses melt together, 3 to 5 minutes a side. Cut them in half diagonally and serve with beer. Makes 2 servings
