Give Your Grilled Cheese Sandwich a Parmesan Crust
I’m a bit of a fried cheese proponent. I love white bread, buttered ( not mayonnaise ) and stuffed with sticky melted American cheese. A good hawarty is also acceptable if the mood dictates a touch of luxury, but harder, sour cheeses like cheddar or parmesa are not allowed unless you put them on the outside of the sandwich.
The qualities that make Parmesan, cheddar, and other hard cheeses such as these so ill-suited for cooking inside grilled cheese make them so suitable for the outside . Due to the low pH, these cheeses tend to become greasy and solidify rather than melting into soft, creamy drops (which is exactly what you need between breads). But if you put it on the outside of the sandwich, the fat inside the cheese looses, frying the proteins and leaving behind a lace mesh of crispy, salty, fried cheese. This is freeco , only now it stuck to the bread.
Basically, if you can make a cheese crust out of it, you can use it to create a crispy crust on the outside of the sandwich. The cheddar works, the grated parmesan works, even the shredded parm shaker does the job. In my many serious experiments with sandwiches, I’ve found that chopped peppers adhere best to bread and separate from the mold, but chopped peppers taste better. (Real Parmigiano Reggiano will obviously taste better, but it’s the most expensive option.)
Adding an outer layer of cheese to a cheese sandwich is easy: spread some soft butter on the outside of the bread (or dip it in ghee ), then sprinkle a tablespoon (or more, depending on the size of your bread) on your bread. on each slice of buttered bread, pressing gently so that it adheres better. Place a slice of bread cheese-side down in a non-stick skillet, place a layer of softer stuffed cheese inside, then cook over medium heat until the cheese is golden on the outside and the inside cheese is completely melted. If you are worried about it getting burnt, use a plastic spatula or remove the utensils to gently lift the corner and look. Place on a plate, cut in half diagonally and eat.
Updated Feb 9, 2021 to indicate the amount of cheese you should be using.