5. Grilled Cheese? Yes Please!

From finishing a long dinner, afternoon grazing or fighting for verticality in the early hours cheese is fit for any occasion. It’s the perfect combination of gluttony and refinery. You know you’re being naughty but because it’s being served on a platter you know your mother would approve. Smoking is bad but according to society ‘smoking socially’ is totally fine - it’s the right amount of ‘risqué’. The fact that it makes you a little guilty is what makes it a pleasure, thats the cheese complex. Cheese can turn any frown upside down, but with a high ‘craveability’ factor it leaves you wanting more so we advise a safe word.

Hot crispy bread and cheese, here is a classic…

Ingredients

Serves 1-2 

Filling

1100g grated Red Leicester cheese

100g grated cheddar cheese

2 slices of Monterey Jack

1 large gherkin, sliced

Soft butter

Salt&Pepper

Bread

Granary loaf:

1 tsp dried yeast

300g strong white flour

200g granary flour

1 tbs sugar

25g soft butter

1 tsp salt

180ml milk

180ml water

Method

Bread

1) Mix the flours together with the salt, sugar and yeast, then make a well in the middle. Add the softened butter, milk and water. With your hands bring it all together into a wet dough.

2) Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for around 10 minutes until the dough it smooth and elastic.

3) Lightly oil a mixing bowl and place the dough inside and cover with a tea towel. Leave the dough to prove in a warm place until it has doubled in size.

4) Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape the dough into the size of a 1lb loaf tin and place inside. Cover the loaf with a tea towel and allow to prove, until the dough has doubled in size.

5) Preheat the over to 200C/400F/Gas mark 6. When the loaf has doubled in size place in the over and bake for 20 minutes until well risen and golden brown.

6) Tip the bread out onto a cooling rack and allow to cool. Store in an airtight container or it can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Filling

1) Spread the butter on the outsides of the sandwich to avoid the bread sticking to the pan.

2) Place the bottom slice down in the pan and quickly add your cheeses and gherkins, add the top slice of bread and apply downward pressure gently.

3) Keep an eye on the bottom piece of bread by lifting a corner with a spatular. Once it’s crispy flip the sandwich and apply downward pressure again. The same applies for the other side.

4) Once the bread is crunchy, just to make sure the cheese is 100% melted I stick it in the oven on a baking tray at 180°C for 3 mins.