Catching Up With Ruth Reichl
After 55 years as a renowned food journalist, the legendary Ruth Reichl shows no signs of slowing down.
Grilled cheese, an American classic that oozes comfort and offers a golden, satisfying crunch. We all grew up with them, whether yours were built with store-bought sliced white from a plastic bag and squares of Velveeta cheese or artisan whole grain bread and farmstead cheddar cheese or something in between.
With the abundance of gorgeous loaves emerging from wood-fired hearths these days—and a dizzying array of high-quality Vermont cheeses—grilled cheese has become the sandwich darling of the artisanal movement. Cut some thick slices of your favorite bread, pull out a tempting cheese (or two) and whatever add-ins catch your creativity, and build the sandwich of your dreams, suitable for any meal of the day. The only thing that limits you is your imagination!
Instructions
Gather a group of shallots, leeks, scallions, and an onion (red, yellow, or white)—as many members of the allium family as you have on hand—and chop them into a small heap. Add a minced clove of garlic.
Grate a few handfuls of the best cheddar you can afford, set a little aside, and gently combine the rest with the onion mixture.
Butter one side of the thickly sliced bread and heap as much of the mixture as possible between the two slices. Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on the outside of the bread (this will keep it from scorching on the griddle). Press the reserved grated cheese on the outside of the bread, where it will create a wonderfully crisp and shaggy crust, giving your sandwich an entirely new dimension.
Fry on a heated griddle or in a skillet about 4 minutes per side, until the cheese is softly melted.
About this recipe
PRO TIPS
Consider grating your cheese if it’s firm enough (cheddar, gouda, and alpine style). Grating rather than slicing leads to more even melting. Stick with slicing for softer cheeses.
Use mayonnaise rather than butter to coat the bread’s surface. In addition to being easier to spread evenly, mayonnaise creates a crispy exterior and promotes more even browning. It also has a higher smoke point so your cheese has more time to get all melty and gooey without the bread burning. Can’t decide? Use equal parts of mayonnaise and softened butter and enjoy a perfectly golden, crunchy, luscious sandwich. You are the ruler of your grilled cheese destiny.
VERMONT-INSPIRED RIFFS
- Jasper Hill Farm Bayley Hazen Blue or Blue Ledge Farm Middlebury Blue + caramelized onions + sliced apple + bacon or ham
- Cobb Hill smoked gouda + roasted red peppers
- Woodlawn Creamery Pawlet or Sugarbush Farm Mountain Jack + roasted poblanos + mushrooms
- Vermont cheddar + bacon + egg + maple drizzle
- Spring Brook Farm Tarentaise + prosciutto + cornichons
- Jasper Hill Farm Whitney or Woodlawn Creamery Rupert + fried sage + honey
RECIPE COURTESY OF RUTH REICHL FROM MY KITCHEN YEAR: 136 RECIPES THAT SAVED MY LIFE, RANDOM HOUSE, 2015
Related Stories & Recipes
