The grill was the original toaster, as you surely know if you’ve ever tasted Italian bruschetta cooked the traditional way—grilled in the fireplace, rubbed with garlic, and drizzled with olive oil. So it should come as no surprise that the sandwich reaches its apotheosis on the indoor grill. At least three great sandwich cultures back me on this: France, the source of the croque monsieur; Italy, home of panini; and Cuba, with its pressed sandwiches. Here’s a complete course on grilling breads and sandwiches, from garlic-grilled lavash and a lobster Reuben sandwich to a cutting-edge BLT.
Certain foods are indelibly fixed in memory. Such was my first taste of Italian bruschetta. The place was a tiny restaurant in San Gimignano in Tuscany. It was utterly unremarkable in terms of menu or decor, except that there was a freestanding hearth in the center of the dining room where a white-haired master tended a small Tuscan grill set over a mound of glowing oak embers. To make bruschetta, he hand cut slices of saltless Tuscan bread and lightly charred them on the gridiron (bruschetta takes its name from the Italian word bruscare, to burn). He rubbed each hot, crusty slice with raw garlic, sprinkled it with coarse sea salt and cracked black peppercorns, and drizzled unfiltered Tuscan olive oil over it. Bruschetta has become popular to the point of cliché in the United States, and I’d wager most Americans think what makes it bruschetta is a topping of diced tomatoes. Here’s the real deal, and when grilled in your fireplace there’s no better grilled bread on the planet. MAKES 8 PIECES
GRILL PAN: Place the grill pan on the stove and preheat it to medium-high over medium heat. When the grill pan is hot a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, lightly oil the ridges of the grill pan. Place the bread in the hot grill pan. It will be done after cooking 1 to 3 minutes per side.
BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the bread on the hot grate. It will be done after cooking 1 to 3 minutes per side.
FREESTANDING GRILL: Preheat the grill to high; there’s no need to oil the grate. Place the bread on the hot grill. It will be done after cooking 2 to 4 minutes per side.
FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a hot, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the bread on the hot grate. It will be done after cooking 1 to 3 minutes per side.
8 slices (½ inch thick) Tuscan bread
4 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half crosswise
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and cracked or freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil in a small bottle or cruet
1. Cook the bread following the instructions for any of the grills in the box, until golden brown and toasted. Don’t take your eyes off the grill, as the bread can burn quickly. You may need to grill the bread in batches.
2. Rub one side of each slice of bread with the cut side of a piece of garlic. Generously sprinkle that side with salt and pepper, then drizzle olive oil over it. Eat at once.
VARIATIONS: The Catalonians in southeastern Spain make a dish similar to bruschetta, but in addition to the garlic, they rub the grilled bread with the cut side of a luscious, red ripe tomato half before seasoning it with salt and pepper and drizzling olive oil over it.
For a thoroughly American barbecue twist on this Italian classic, rub the grilled bread with smoked garlic (you’ll find the recipe on page 368), using 1 to 2 cloves for each slice.
The chief challenge when making bruschetta will be finding saltless Tuscan bread, which tastes insipid by itself but is glorious when grilled, rubbed with garlic, and sprinkled with salt. Look for loaves at Italian bakeries or, if you’re feeling ambitious, you can make your own following a recipe in an Italian baking book, such as The Italian Baker by Carol Field. If you can’t find Tuscan bread, substitute a dense country-style loaf and cut back on the salt.
Long, slender slices of bread, redolent of olive oil, garlic, and Parmesan and toasted audibly crisp on the grill—there’s nothing like grilled garlic bread. It’s super easy to prepare on a variety of indoor grills. To maximize the surface area exposed to the garlic and grill, slice the bread lengthwise as well as crosswise. MAKES 12 PIECES
CONTACT GRILL: Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Place the bread on the hot grill, then close the lid. The bread will be done after cooking 3 to 5 minutes.
GRILL PAN: Place the grill pan on the stove and preheat it to medium-high over medium heat. When the grill pan is hot a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, lightly oil the ridges of the grill pan. Place the bread in the hot grill pan. It will be done after cooking 1 to 3 minutes per side.
BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the bread on the hot grate. It will be done after cooking 1 to 3 minutes per side.
FREESTANDING GRILL: Preheat the grill to high; there’s no need to oil the grate. Place the bread on the hot grill. It will be done after cooking 2 to 4 minutes per side.
FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a hot, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the bread on the hot grate. It will be done after cooking 1 to 3 minutes per side.
1 loaf French bread (18 to 20 inches long; see Note)
2 to 3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)
½ cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1. Using a long serrated knife, cut the bread crosswise into thirds; the lengths should be just a little shorter than the grill plates. Turn each piece on its side and cut it lengthwise into 4 broad thin slices.
2. Squeeze the garlic through a garlic press into a small bowl or place it in a bowl and mash it to a paste with the back of a wooden spoon. Add the olive oil and parsley, if using, and stir to mix. Brush the pieces of bread on both sides with the garlic oil.
3. Cook the garlic bread, following the instructions for any of the grills in the box at left, until browned and crisp. Don’t take your eyes off the grill, as the bread can burn quickly. You may need to grill the bread in batches.
4. Sprinkle the Parmesan on the hot bread and serve at once. (If you are using a contact grill, you can sprinkle the Parmesan over the bread while it is still on the grill, after it has cooked for 2 minutes; it will cook right into the bread.)
NOTE: Any crusty baguette will work handily here.
VARIATIONS: There are many ways to customize the garlic bread recipe. You can substitute butter for the olive oil or grated Manchego cheese for the Parmesan. You can use roasted or smoked garlic (see page 368) in place of the fresh. Or top the bread with sliced sage leaves or prosciutto. Whichever topping you choose, serve the bread the minute—no, the second—it comes off the grill.
How does the day begin for tens, maybe hundreds of thousands, of Miamians—and certainly me? With café con leche and a tostada. Café con leche is Cuban caffe latte—strong, mud-black espresso stirred to a thick paste with a tooth-rattling dose of sugar and lightened with steamed whole milk. Into this blissful mixture you dip an 8-inch-piece of Cuban bread that’s been slathered with butter and flattened and toasted wafer crisp in a plancha, a Cuban sandwich press. The result is a riot of textures and flavors: the sugary coffee; the salty butter; the crusty bread, which softens to a comforting pap the longer you dunk it in your coffee. It’s as much a part of the south Florida experience as beignets dipped in chicory-flavored coffee are in New Orleans, and it’s one of the best things about living in Miami. Contact grills work a lot like a plancha; you can use them to make not only tostadas but also a variety of Cuban sandwiches (see pages 309 through 311). Serve tostadas with café con leche, caffe latte, or café au lait. It’s the next best thing to breakfast in Miami. SERVES 2; CAN BE MULTIPLIED AS DESIRED
Strong, black, sweet Cuban coffee is the fuel that powers Miami. Every morning and throughout the day, Miamians of all ethnic backgrounds stop at gas stations and luncheonettes, sandwich shops and neighborhood markets for what is surely some of the best and most reasonably priced coffee in the United States.
Cuban coffee is brewed in espresso machines from dark-roast beans (the most popular brands are Pilon and Bustelo). The one thing all Cuban coffee drinks have in common is sugar—lots of it. Here are the options you’re likely to encounter at a Miami coffee shop.
CAFE CUBANO OR CAFECITO: A shot of very strong, very sweet espresso.
COLADA: A large shot of café cubano served with four to six thimble-size plastic cups, so you can share it with your friends or officemates.
CAFE CORTADITO: A shot of sweetened espresso with a little hot steamed whole milk added—the Cuban equivalent of an Italian macchiato.
CAFE CON LECHE: The Cuban version of cappuccino or café au lait: sweetened espresso with hot milk added in a ratio of ½ or 1 part milk to 1 part coffee, for an oscuro, a dark or strong café con leche; or more commonly, 2 parts milk to 1 part coffee. This is the coffee of choice for dipping your tostada into.
To be strictly authentic, you’d use Cuban bread for tostadas (see sidebar on page 309). If you live in an area with a large Cuban community, you’ll be able to find it at a neighborhood market or supermarket. But tostadas can also be made with a soft supermarket French bread or for that matter even a proper crusty baguette.
2 pieces (8 inches long) Cuban bread or French bread
2 to 3 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
Cooking oil spray
1. Preheat the grill (for instructions for using a contact grill, see page 3); if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill.
2. Slice each piece of bread almost in half the long way and open it up like a book. Spread the cut side with most of the butter and fold the bread back together. Spread the outside of each piece of bread with the remaining butter.
3. When ready to cook, lightly coat the grill surface with cooking oil spray. Arrange the bread on the hot grill so that it is perpendicular to the ridges, then close the lid. Grill the bread until the outside is browned and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve at once.
Lavash is a flat bread found throughout Armenia, the Caucasus, Iran, and Afghanistan. Thanks to its paper thinness, you can grill it cracker crisp in less than a minute. Its mild flavor (a cross between that of pita and matzo) makes it a perfect foil for any number of toppings—herbs, cheese, roasted peppers, even ground lamb. That’s not all: You can grill it open face, topped like a pizza; or fill it like a quesadilla. Serve lavash whole or break it into crisp shards to scoop up salsas or dips. SERVES 4
2 pieces lavash (see Note)
1½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt (kosher or sea)
Coarsely ground black pepper or hot red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
CONTACT GRILL: Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Place the lavash on the hot grill, then close the lid. The bread will be done after cooking 2 to 3 minutes.
BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the lavash on the hot grate. It will be done after cooking 30 seconds to 1 minute per side.
FREESTANDING GRILL: Preheat the grill to high; there’s no need to oil the grate. Place the lavash on the hot grill. It will be done after cooking 1 to 2 minutes per side.
FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a hot, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the lavash on the hot grate. It will be done after cooking 30 seconds to 1 minute per side.
1. Lightly brush each piece of lavash on both sides with the olive oil and sprinkle salt, pepper, and garlic over them.
2. Cook the lavash, following the instructions for any of the grills in the box at right, until lightly browned and crisp. Don’t take your eyes off the grill, as the lavash can burn quickly. You may need to grill the lavash in batches.
3. Transfer the lavash to a wire rack and let it cool enough to handle, then break it into large pieces. The lavash can be served hot or at room temperature. In the unlikely event that you have any left over, it can be stored in an airtight tin or plastic bag for up to 2 days.
NOTE: Look for lavash in the bread or Middle Eastern food section of the supermarket. Better still, you may be able to find freshly baked lavash in a Middle Eastern market. You want fresh, pliable lavash, not dry ones. The lavash I use are about 10 inches square.
Here’s how grilled lavash would taste if it were prepared by a northern Italian—with Parmesan cheese, of course. Use crumbled dried rosemary if fresh is not available. SERVES 4
CONTACT GRILL: Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Place the lavash on the hot grill, then close the lid. The bread will be done after cooking 2 to 3 minutes.
BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the lavash on the hot grate. It will be done after cooking 30 seconds to 1 minute per side.
FREESTANDING GRILL: Preheat the grill to high; there’s no need to oil the grate. Place the lavash on the hot grill. It will be done after cooking 1 to 2 minutes per side.
FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a hot, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the lavash on the hot grate. It will be done after cooking 30 seconds to 1 minute per side.
2 pieces lavash (see Note)
2 tablespoons (¼ stick) butter, melted
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1. Lightly brush each piece of lavash on both sides with the butter and then sprinkle the rosemary and Parmesan cheese over them.
2. Cook the lavash, following the instructions for any of the grills in the box at left, until lightly browned and crisp. Don’t take your eyes off the grill, as the lavash can burn quickly. You may need to grill the lavash in batches.
3. Transfer the lavash to a wire rack and let it cool enough to handle, then break it into large pieces. The lavash can be served hot or at room temperature. In the unlikely event that you have any left over, it can be stored in an airtight tin or plastic bag for up to 2 days.
Sesame-dotted scallion bread is classic in Chinese dim sum. This grilled version, made with lavash, is a lot less oily and easier to make. SERVES 4
2 pieces lavash (see Note)
2 tablespoons Asian (dark) sesame oil
1 scallion, both white and green parts, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds, or more white
1. Lightly brush each piece of lavash on both sides with the sesame oil and then sprinkle the scallions and sesame seeds over them.
2. Cook the lavash following the instructions for any of the grills in the box at right, until lightly browned and crisp. Don’t take your eyes off the grill, as the lavash can burn quickly. You may need to grill the lavash in batches.
3. Transfer the lavash to a wire rack and let it cool enough to handle, then break it into large pieces. The lavash can be served hot or at room temperature. In the unlikely event that you have any left over, it can be stored in an airtight tin or plastic bag for up to 2 days.
CONTACT GRILL: Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Place the lavash on the hot grill, then close the lid. The bread will be done after cooking 2 to 3 minutes.
BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the lavash on the hot grate. It will be done after cooking 30 seconds to 1 minute per side.
FREESTANDING GRILL: Preheat the grill to high; there’s no need to oil the grate. Place the lavash on the hot grill. It will be done after cooking 1 to 2 minutes per side.
FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a hot, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the lavash on the hot grate. It will be done after cooking 30 seconds to 1 minute per side.
Wisconsin may have the world’s best-kept cheese secret. Sure, everyone knows that untold tons of pleasant, vivid orange commercial cheddar come from the Badger State. What you may not realize is that contemporary Wisconsin cheese makers are turning out some astonishing farmstead cheeses—silken mascarpones, buttery monastery-style cheeses, and crumbly blues worthy of Stilton. You can even find cave-ripened cheddars, aged for five years until they are tooth-tinglingly sharp. Which brings us to rarebit, a dish of British origin that’s fallen somewhat out of fashion in recent years. Traditional Welsh rarebit is a sort of cheese and ale fondue served over toasted bread (just the snack for a hapless hunter whose rabbit got away). Here’s a “rarebit” you can make a lot more quickly on a contact grill (Foreman-type or panini machine). SERVES 2; CAN BE MULTIPLIED AS DESIRED
• These sandwiches will be highly tasty made with any Wisconsin cheddar and absolutely amazing prepared with a cave-aged five-year-old, like the cheddar from Carr Valley Cheese Company (see Mail-Order Sources on page 396).
• Rarebit is traditionally served on dense white sandwich bread, but don’t rule out rye, wheat berry, or whole wheat bread.
4 very thin slices dense white sandwich bread
1½ tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature or melted
1 tablespoons English hot mustard or Dijon mustard, or more to taste
Worcestershire sauce
4 to 6 ounces Wisconsin cheddar, sliced as thinly as possible (about 6 slices)
Cooking oil spray
1. Preheat the grill (for instructions for using a contact grill, see page 3); if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill.
2. Using a knife or pastry brush, spread or brush the slices of bread on one side with the butter. Place 2 slices of bread on a work surface buttered side down, then spread the top of each with the mustard. Sprinkle a few drops of Worcestershire sauce over the mustard. Arrange the slices of cheddar on top, trimming them so that they come just to the edges of the bread. Place the cheese trimmings in the center of the sandwiches. Place the remaining 2 slices of bread on top, buttered side up.
3. When ready to cook, lightly coat the grill surface with cooking oil spray. Using a spatula, transfer the sandwiches to the hot grill and gently close the lid. Grill the sandwiches until the bread is nicely browned and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Serve at once.
This sandwich was inspired by a trip to Amsterdam, a city of amazing beauty (seventeenth-century town houses overlooking canals), astonishing open-mindedness, and plenty of great food. The Dutch can boast of their remarkably piquant cheeses, hams of great character, and bread so dark, rich, and grainy a slice is almost a meal in itself. Put these together in a contact grill (Foreman-type or panini machine) and you get a grilled cheese sandwich you won’t soon forget. SERVES 2; CAN BE MULTIPLIED AS DESIRED
4 slices (about ½ inch thick) dark country rye bread or whole wheat bread
1½ tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature or melted
1 tablespoon Dutch, German, or Dijon mustard, or more to taste
Worcestershire sauce
2 to 3 ounces thinly sliced smoked ham, such as Westphalian or Black Forest (about 6 slices)
2 to 3 ounces thinly sliced Leyden or other Dutch cheese (about 4 slices)
6 cornichons, thinly sliced lengthwise
Cooking oil spray
1. Preheat the grill (for instructions for using a contact grill, see page 3); if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill.
2. Using a knife or pastry brush, spread or brush the slices of bread on one side with the butter. Place 2 slices of bread on a work surface buttered side down, then spread the top of each with the mustard. Sprinkle a few drops of Worcestershire sauce over the mustard. Arrange the slices of ham on the bread, followed by the slices of cheese, trimming both so that they come just to the edges of the bread. Place the trimmings in the center of the sandwiches. Top each sandwich with half of the cornichon slices. Place the remaining 2 slices of bread on top, buttered side up.
3. When ready to cook, lightly coat the grill surface with cooking oil spray. Using a spatula, transfer the sandwiches to the hot grill and gently close the lid. Grill the sandwiches until the bread is nicely browned and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Serve at once.
• You’re probably familiar with the Dutch cheeses Gouda and Edam, but there are dozens of others to choose from, including the cumin seed or caraway studded Leyden, which makes an astonishingly fragrant sandwich. Look for it and other Dutch cheeses at cheese or specialty food stores.
• Cornichons are very tiny, very sour pickles. If the supermarket doesn’t carry them, a specialty food store will be your source, or substitute thinly sliced pickled onions.
Sage Derby (pronounced “dar-bee”) is one of England’s most distinctive cheeses—a cheddary, green-veined cow’s milk cheese that owes its herbal flavor to the addition of chopped sage. Sage is a classic herb for poultry, my inspiration for a “rarebit” made with sage Derby and sliced turkey. SERVES 2; CAN BE MULTIPLIED AS DESIRED
• For best results, use a farmhouse sage Darby—Steven Jenkins, author of the Cheese Primer, recommends Kirkby Malzeard Dairy’s, which is sometimes labeled Tuxford & Tebbutt.
• As for the turkey, it should be carved from a whole turkey or turkey breast (no turkey roll, please)—the sort of turkey you’d get from a good deli or roast yourself.
4 slices (about ½ inch thick) dense white sandwich bread
1½ tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature or melted
1 tablespoon English mustard, or more to taste
2 to 3 ounces thinly sliced roast or smoked turkey (about 6 slices)
2 to 3 ounces thinly sliced sage Derby cheese (about 4 slices)
Cooking oil spray
1. Preheat the grill (for instructions for using a contact grill, see page 3); if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill.
2. Using a knife or pastry brush, spread or brush the slices of bread on one side with the butter. Place 2 slices of bread on a work surface buttered side down, then spread the top of each with the mustard. Arrange the slices of turkey on the bread followed by the slices of cheese, trimming both so that they come just to the edges of the bread. Place the trimmings in the center of the sandwiches. Place the remaining 2 slices of bread on top, buttered side up.
3. When ready to cook, lightly coat the grill surface with cooking oil spray. Using a spatula, transfer the sandwiches to the hot grill and gently close the lid. Grill the sandwiches until the bread is nicely browned and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Serve at once.
Few things can beat the perfection of a BLT, but this grilled cheese sandwich comes close. The ingredients are key. The bacon should be thickly sliced, naturally cured, and corn cob or wood smoked (one good brand, Nueske’s Hillcrest Farm, is available by mail order; see page 396). The cheese, Leicester, from central England, is sharp, orange, and Cheddarlike, with a sweet, spicy flavor; look for it at cheese or specialty food shops. To provide the requisite crunch and acidity, the tomato should be hard and green. SERVES 2; CAN BE MULTIPLIED AS DESIRED
For an interesting variation on the recipe, substitute Canadian bacon for the bacon, Livarot (an odiferous French cheese) for the Leicester, and a ripe red tomato for the green. The result will still be a BLT—but with an entirely different personality.
4 slices (about ½ inch thick) green tomato, cut crosswise from 1 large tomato
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
4 slices bacon (about 4 ounces total), each slice cut crosswise in half
Cooking oil spray
4 slices (about ½ inch thick) dense white sandwich bread
1½ tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature or melted
1 to 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (optional)
4 ounces thinly sliced Leicester cheese (about 6 slices)
1. Preheat the grill (for instructions for using a contact grill, see page 3); if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill.
2. Generously season the tomato slices with salt and pepper. Place 2 pieces of bacon on a work surface side by side and place a tomato slice on top. Top the tomato slice with 2 pieces of bacon. Repeat with the remaining pieces of bacon and tomato slices.
3. When ready to cook, lightly coat the grill surface with cooking oil spray. Using a spatula, transfer the bacon and tomato slices to the hot grill and close the lid. Grill until the bacon is browned and the tomato is tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Using a spatula, transfer the tomatoes and bacon to a plate. Leave the grill turned on.
4. Using a knife or pastry brush, spread or brush the slices of bread on one side with the butter. Place 2 slices of bread on a work surface buttered side down, then spread the top of each with mayonnaise, if using. Arrange 2 grilled bacon and tomato bundles on each slice of bread, cutting them as needed so that they cover the bread. Arrange the slices of cheese on top, trimming them so that they come just to the edges of the bread. Place the cheese trimmings in the center of the sandwiches. Place the remaining 2 slices of bread on top, buttered side up.
5. When ready to cook, lightly coat the grill surface again with cooking oil spray. Using a spatula, transfer the sandwiches to the hot grill and gently close the lid. Grill the sandwiches until the bread is nicely browned and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Let the sandwiches cool slightly (fresh tomatoes get very hot when grilled), then serve.
The classic sandwich of the French café, croque monsieur is two slices of buttered bread filled with ham and cheese and cooked on a griddle or in a sandwich press until golden and crusty. Did someone say sandwich press? How about using a contact grill, which has the added advantage of creating grill marks? The preparation may sound simple, but unless you use the proper ingredients in the right proportions, you’ll wind up with a fast-food cliché. First, there’s the bread—the French would use pain de mie, a crustless, dense-grained white bread. Country-style white bread works great on this side of the Atlantic; to be strictly authentic, cut off the crusts. Next, the ham: No molded, boiled ham product, but real ham, ideally smoked or at the very least baked. (Hint: If it comes in perfectly square or rectangular slices, it’s probably not real ham.) A smoked Vermont or honey-baked ham would be ideal. Finally, the cheese. Tradition calls for Gruyère—a sharp, tangy cheese from the French or Swiss Alps, which has a nutty sweetness. Look for it at a specialty food store, cheese shop, or a good supermarket cheese department. SERVES 2; CAN BE MULTIPLIED AS DESIRED
4 slices (about ½ inch thick) dense white sandwich bread, crusts cut off and discarded
2 tablespoons (¼ stick) salted butter, at room temperature or melted
2 ounces thinly sliced smoked or baked ham (about 6 slices)
2 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (about ½ cup)
Freshly ground black pepper
Cooking oil spray
Mornay Sauce (optional; recipe follows)
1. Preheat the grill (for instructions for using a contact grill, see page 3); if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill.
2. Using a knife or pastry brush, spread or brush both sides of the slices of bread with the butter, buttering one side of each slice more heavily than the other. Place 2 slices of bread on a work surface with the less heavily buttered side facing up. Arrange the ham slices on top, trimming them so that they come just to the edges of the bread. Place the ham trimmings in the center of the sandwiches. Sprinkle the Gruyère over the ham, dividing it evenly between the 2 sandwiches and spreading it out to the edges of the bread. Sprinkle some pepper over the sandwiches. Place the remaining 2 slices of bread on top, with the more heavily buttered side facing up.
3. When ready to cook, lightly coat the grill surface with cooking oil spray. Using a spatula, transfer the sandwiches to the hot grill and gently close the lid. Grill the sandwiches until the bread is browned and crisp and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Serve at once with Mornay Sauce, if desired.
• Some restaurants crown their croque monsieur with Mornay sauce (a cheese-flavored béchamel). It might seem like gilding the lily, but if you want to try it, there’s a recipe for Mornay Sauce here.
• To turn the sandwich into a croque madame, cut a hole in the top slice and crack in an egg before grilling.
This simple French cheese sauce is often spooned over croque monsieur and other pressed sandwiches. The mustard isn’t strictly traditional, but I like the way it counterpoints the richness of the cheese. I like to use equal parts Gruyère and Parmesan cheese, but to simplify the recipe you could use straight Gruyère. MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP
1½ tablespoons unsalted butter
1½ tablespoons flour
1 cup whole milk
¼ cup (about 1 ounce) coarsely grated Gruyère cheese
½ cup (about 1 ounce) coarsely grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
1. Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the flour. Return the saucepan to the heat and cook until the flour and butter are sizzling but not brown, about 2 minutes, whisking constantly.
2. Remove the pan from the heat and gradually whisk in the milk. Return the saucepan to the heat and gradually bring the mixture to a boil, whisking steadily, about 3 minutes. Let the sauce simmer for 3 minutes, whisking steadily.
3. Whisk in the Gruyère and Parmesan and cook until melted, 1 to 2 minutes, whisking steadily. Add the mustard and season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste and just a pinch of nutmeg, if desired. Serve the Mornay Sauce at once or keep it warm on the back of the stove until ready to use.
Roquefort, the salty, tangy French blue cheese made with sheep’s milk, has an affinity for walnuts. If you live near an artisanal bakery, you may be able to find walnut bread. If not, use white bread and add walnuts to the Roquefort mixture. SERVES 2; CAN BE MULTIPLIED AS DESIRED
The best ham for this recipe would be a smoked, cured ham, like Bayonne ham from France or Westphalian or Black Forest ham from Germany. Look for these at specialty food stores or, in a pinch, substitute prosciutto.
2 ounces Roquefort cheese (about ½ cup crumbled), at room temperature
2½ tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped toasted walnuts (optional; see sidebar)
Freshly ground black pepper
4 slices (about ½ inch thick) walnut bread or dense white sandwich bread
2 ounces very thinly sliced smoked ham (about 6 slices)
Cooking oil spray
1. Preheat the grill (for instructions for using a contact grill, see page 3); if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill.
2. Place the Roquefort in a mixing bowl and mash it to a paste with a fork. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and the walnuts, if using, and stir to mix. Season with pepper to taste.
3. Spread the remaining 1½ tablespoons of butter on one side of the slices of bread, dividing it evenly among them. Place 2 slices of the bread on a work surface, buttered side down. Arrange the ham slices on top, trimming them so that they come just to the edges of the bread. Place the ham trimmings in the center of the sandwiches. Spoon the Roquefort mixture on top, dividing it evenly between the 2 sandwiches and spreading it out to the edges of the bread. Place the remaining 2 slices of bread on top, buttered side up.
4. When ready to cook, lightly coat the grill surface with cooking oil spray. Using a spatula, transfer the sandwiches to the hot grill and gently close the lid. Grill the sandwiches until the bread is browned and crisp and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Serve at once.
To toast walnuts, place them in a dry cast-iron or other heavy skillet (don’t use a nonstick skillet for this). Cook the walnuts over medium-high heat until fragrant and lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes, shaking the skillet to ensure that they toast evenly. Transfer the toasted walnuts to a heatproof bowl to cool.
Here’s a meatless, Mediterranean-inspired croque monsieur. The goat cheese, tomato, and basil filling will play pinball with your taste buds. You can use either sun-dried tomatoes or fresh ones—or even a mixture of both. Warning: Fresh tomatoes absorb a lot of heat as they grill. Let the sandwich cool slightly before taking a bite, so you don’t burn your tongue. SERVES 2; CAN BE MULTIPLIED AS DESIRED
The first sun-dried tomatoes to reach America from Italy were cured in oil, obscenely expensive, and exquisitely, explosively flavorful. Today, most sun-dried tomatoes are industrially processed and sold dry, but you can approximate the intense flavor of the original Italian product by plumping the tomatoes in boiling water, then tossing them with garlic and oil. If you can find oil-cured tomatoes, available at Italian markets, specialty food stores, and well-stocked supermarkets, you won’t need to do this.
8 sun-dried tomato halves, or 1 medium-size luscious ripe red tomato
1½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon more if using air-dried tomatoes
½ cup (4 ounces) soft goat cheese, such as Montrachet, at room temperature
Freshly ground black pepper
4 slices (about ½ inch thick) French bread, cut sharply on the diagonal
6 fresh basil leaves, slivered
Cooking oil spray
1. If using oil-cured sun-dried tomatoes, drain them well. If using air-dried tomatoes, place them in a heatproof bowl, add boiling water to cover, and let soak for 20 minutes. Drain well and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Coarsely chop the sun-dried tomatoes. If using a fresh tomato, thinly slice it.
2. Place the goat cheese in a mixing bowl and mash with a wooden spoon until smooth. Season the cheese with pepper to taste. If using sun-dried tomatoes, add them to the cheese and stir to mix.
3. Preheat the grill (for instructions for using a contact grill, see page 3); if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill.
4. Brush the oil on one side of each slice of bread. Place 2 slices of bread on a work surface, oiled side down. Spoon the goat cheese mixture on top, dividing it evenly between the 2 sandwiches and spreading it out to the edges of the bread. If using fresh tomatoes, arrange them on the cheese mixture. Place half of the basil leaves on each sandwich. Place the remaining 2 slices of bread on top, oiled side up.
5. When ready to cook, lightly coat the grill surface with cooking oil spray. Using a spatula, transfer the sandwiches to the hot grill and gently close the lid. Grill the sandwiches until the bread is browned and crisp and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Serve at once.
The French call this earthy mushroom hash duxelles, and it’s an appellation rich with associations. It pays tribute to the Marquis d’Uxelles, patron of the great seventeenth-century chef François Pierre de La Varenne (he became the namesake of the French cooking school, La Varenne, where I trained in Paris in the 1970s). It’s pretty hard to beat the combination of grilled cheese and mushrooms, especially mushrooms flavored with Cognac and shallots and cooked down to concentrate their woodsy flavor. SERVES 2; CAN BE MULTIPLIED AS DESIRED
Mushroom hash is traditionally made with commonplace white or button mushrooms, but you can jazz it up by using any exotic mushrooms, from shiitakes to morels, or a mixture of mushrooms.
FOR THE MUSHROOM HASH:
12 ounces fresh mushrooms, stemmed and wiped clean with damp paper towels
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon salted butter or extra-virgin olive oil
2 to 3 large shallots, minced (for about ½ cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
1½ tablespoons Cognac
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE CROQUES:
4 slices (about ½ inch thick) dense white sandwich bread or whole wheat bread
2 tablespoons (¼ stick) salted butter, at room temperature or melted
2 ounces thinly sliced aged Gouda cheese (about 6 slices)
Cooking oil spray
1. Make the mushroom hash: Cut any large mushrooms into quarters; cut smaller ones in half. Place the mushrooms and lemon juice in a food processor and finely chop, running the machine in short bursts and working in several batches if necessary, so you don’t crowd the bowl. Do not overprocess or you’ll reduce the mushrooms to mush.
2. Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until just beginning to brown, about 3 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the Cognac and bring to a boil; it will evaporate almost immediately, leaving a flavorful residue. Add the mushrooms and the parsley and increase the heat to high. Cook until all the mushroom juices have evaporated and the mixture is thick and concentrated, 4 to 6 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste; the mushroom hash should be highly seasoned. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate, covered, until ready to use. The recipe can be prepared up to a day ahead to this stage.
3. Preheat the grill (for instructions for using a contact grill, see page 3); if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill.
4. Make the croques: Using a knife or pastry brush, spread or brush both sides of the slices of bread with the butter, buttering one side of each slice more heavily than the other. Place 2 slices of bread on a work surface, with the less heavily buttered side facing up. Arrange the cheese slices on top, trimming them so they come just to the edges of the bread. Place the cheese trimmings in the center of the sandwiches. Spoon the mushroom mixture on top, dividing it evenly between the 2 sandwiches and spreading it out to the edges of the bread. Place the remaining 2 slices of bread on top, with the more heavily buttered side facing up.
5. When ready to cook, lightly coat the grill surface with cooking oil spray. Using a spatula, transfer the sandwiches to the hot grill and gently close the lid. Grill the sandwiches until the bread is browned and crisp and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Serve at once.
Once you understand the principle of putting together a croque monsieur, there’s no limit to the combinations you can come up with. The grilled cheese and smoked salmon sandwich here was inspired by Eric Ripert, the überchef of Le Bernardin in Manhattan. There are many possibilities for smoked salmon here—Irish, Norwegian, or from Maine. Just be sure it’s cold smoked and thinly sliced. SERVES 2; CAN BE MULTIPLIED AS DESIRED
4 thin (no more than ½ inch thick) slices brioche (see Note)
1½ tablespoons butter, melted
2 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon (about 6 slices)
1 thin slice lemon
2 ounces Gruyère cheese, sliced paper-thin (about 8 slices)
Cooking oil spray
1. Preheat the grill (for instructions for using a contact grill, see page 3); if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill.
2. Using a pastry brush, brush the slices of brioche on one side with the butter. Place 2 slices of brioche on a work surface, buttered side down. Arrange the salmon slices on top, trimming them so that they come just to the edges of the bread. Place the salmon trimmings in the center of the sandwiches.
3. Seed the lemon slice and remove and discard the rind. Finely chop the lemon, then sprinkle it over the salmon, dividing it evenly between the 2 sandwiches. Arrange the slices of Gruyère on top, trimming them so that they come just to the edges of the bread. Place the cheese trimmings in the center of the sandwiches. Place the remaining 2 slices of brioche on top, buttered side up.
4. When ready to cook, lightly coat the grill surface with cooking oil spray. Using a spatula, transfer the sandwiches to the hot grill and gently close the lid. Grill the sandwiches until the bread is browned and crisp and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.
NOTE: Ripert would use brioche, a French bread rich in butter and eggs. French bakeries frequently sell brioche in loaf form. If not, look for it in the familiar tête—head—shape, which you can cut into slices. In a pinch, you could substitute thinly sliced challah or sandwich bread.
Used to describe a salad made with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil, caprese means in the style of Capri. (The salad has become almost as ubiquitous as Caesar salad.) There are also panini caprese made with the same ingredients and generally served without being grilled. I like the intense, concentrated flavor of sun-dried tomatoes for these panini, but you can certainly use slices of fresh tomato instead. The panini are also delicious made with goat cheese in place of the mozzarella. SERVES 2; CAN BE MULTIPLIED AS DESIRED
To give panini the traditional pressed look, press down on the lid of the contact grill a couple of times as the panini are cooking.
FOR THE SUN-DRIED TOMATOES:
8 air-dried sun-dried tomato halves (see Tip on page 296)
2 cups boiling water
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and gently flattened with the side of a cleaver
Freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE PANINI:
4 ounces fresh mozzarella, drained and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
2 soft Italian rolls, split
8 to 12 large fresh basil leaves, rinsed and shaken dry
1½ tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature or melted
Cooking oil spray
1. Prepare the sun-dried tomatoes: Place the tomatoes in a heatproof bowl, pour the boiling water over them, and let soak for 20 minutes. Drain the tomatoes in a colander, squeezing them to press out the water. Transfer the tomatoes to a cutting board and cut them crosswise into thin slivers. Place the tomato slivers in a bowl and stir in the olive oil and garlic. Season with pepper to taste. Let the tomatoes marinate for 30 minutes. Discard the garlic clove. The tomatoes can be prepared up to a day ahead and stored at room temperature.
2. Preheat the grill (for instructions for using a contact grill, see page 3); if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill.
3. Make the panini: Arrange half of the mozzarella slices on the bottom half of each roll, trimming them so that they come just to the edge of the rolls. Place the cheese trimmings in the center of the panini. Top with the marinated tomatoes and basil, then cover with the top half of the rolls. Using a knife or pastry brush, spread or brush the outside of the rolls with the butter.
4. When ready to cook, lightly coat the grill surface with cooking oil spray. Using a spatula, transfer the panini to the hot grill and close the lid. Grill the panini until the rolls are crusty and golden brown and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes (see Tip). Cut the panini in half on the diagonal and serve at once.
This is one of Italy’s simplest grilled panini, and it’s one of the best. Fontina is a buttery, delicately pungent and piquant cheese from the Piedmont in northern Italy, recognizable by the stenciled purple circle with a mountain in the center of its rind. (Be sure to use imported Italian Fontina; the American version tastes downright bland next to the real thing.) Paired with salty prosciutto, you get the ultimate ham and cheese sandwich. SERVES 2; CAN BE MULTIPLIED AS DESIRED
These panini would traditionally be made with pane a cassetta, a dense, crustless white sandwich bread similar to French pain de mie (both are baked in a covered pan, which impedes the formation of a crust). The closest thing in the United States is a dense white sandwich bread with the crusts cut off—not that panini with the crusts on is such a terrible thing.
4 slices dense white sandwich bread
1½ tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature or melted
2 to 3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto (about 12 slices)
2 to 3 ounces thinly sliced Fontina cheese (about 4 slices)
Coarsely ground or cracked black pepper
Cooking oil spray
1. Preheat the grill (for instructions for using a contact grill, see page 3); if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill.
2. Using a knife or pastry brush, spread or brush the slices of bread on one side with the butter. Place 2 slices of bread on a work surface buttered side down and arrange the slices of prosciutto on them followed by the slices of cheese, trimming both so that they come just to the edges of the bread. Place the trimmings in the center of the sandwiches. Generously sprinkle pepper over the sandwiches. Place the remaining 2 slices of bread on top, buttered side up.
3. When ready to cook, lightly coat the grill surface with cooking oil spray. Using a spatula, transfer the panini to the hot grill and close the lid. Grill the panini until the bread is crusty and golden brown and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes (see the Tip on page 300). Cut the panini in half on the diagonal and serve at once.
Visit a busy bar or café in an Italian metropolis at lunchtime and this is what you’ll see: trays of handsome sandwiches, layered with mozzarella, prosciutto, or olive paste, basil, or anchovies (to name just a few of the most popular ingredients), piled high and awaiting a quick blast of heat on a panini machine before being devoured by hordes of hungry, hurried patrons.
The panini machine is a glorified contact grill—two ridged heated metal plates attached by a hinge at the back (in fact the panini machine may have been the inspiration for American contact grills, like the ubiquitous George Foreman). Its squared-off raised ridges apply broad, closely spaced, tack-sharp grill marks. Panini machines are made primarily of stainless steel, not plastic, so they look like serious grilling devices. Most have thermostatic heat controls, enabling the temperature to be adjusted for some serious high-heat grilling.
But while the machine is sophisticated, the sandwiches are simplicity itself, featuring just a couple of ingredients—mozzarella and olive paste, for example, or Fontina and prosciutto. Perfect panini are golden brown and handsomely striped with grill marks. Crisp on the outside and hot and melting on the inside, they’re thin enough that you can nibble on them comfortably. As with so much Italian cooking, the focus is on the quality of the ingredients.
Panini literally means little breads or rolls. Technically speaking, a panino has come to mean a sandwich made on a roll, while a tramezzino is a sandwich made with sliced bread. Either can be served grilled or uncooked. Toast refers to a grilled sandwich made on sliced bread. However, practically speaking, at least in the United States, panini means any Italian-style grilled sandwiches, and that’s how I’m using the term in this book.
Italians make panini with several different types of bread, including ciabatta, which translated means slipper and is named for its shape, and pane a cassetta, a sort of sandwich bread. Although it’s common practice in North America, Italians do not generally make panini with focaccia. Whatever the bread, it’s brushed lightly with butter or olive oil before being grilled, which makes the crust crackling crisp.
You can make fine panini on a regular contact grill, such as the George Foreman, but to get the true panini look you need a panini machine, with its distinctive closely spaced ridges that produce grill marks that are about ¼ inch apart. One machine available in the United States and made for home use is VillaWare’s Uno panini grill (see Mail-Order Sources on page 396).
Starting on page 300 you’ll find classic panini, followed by some contemporary interpretations. Feel free to try your own combinations of ingredients—just remember, when making panini, less is more.
Remember the first time you tasted real mozzarella? Not the rubbery stuff entombed in plastic—I’m talking about fresh mozzarella, a cheese that retains the sweetness of fresh milk with the barest, most delicate edge of piquancy. Once almost impossible to find outside of Italian markets, fresh mozzarella is now widely available at specialty food stores, natural foods stores, and many supermarkets. You know it’s the real thing if it comes packed in water. Fresh mozzarella is perfect paired with olive paste to make vivid, vibrant black-and-white panini. SERVES 2; CAN BE MULTIPLIED AS DESIRED
Contact grills and panini machines make it easy to cook panini. But you can also grill sandwiches in a grill pan, on a built-in or freestanding grill, or even in a fireplace. The secret is to work over a moderate heat and buy yourself a grill press.
A grill press looks like an old-fashioned flat iron—a large, heavy piece of metal with a heatproof handle. Some models, like the VillaWare sandwich press, have raised ridges to match the ridges in a grill pan. Others, like the Lodge grill press, are flat, letting the grill do the work.
To grill sandwiches, preheat your grill to medium and when appropriate, brush and oil the grill ridges. Arrange the sandwiches on the grill and place the weight on top to flatten them. Cook the sandwiches until they are golden brown on the bottom, then turn them over and brown the other side.
Grill presses are available at most houseware and cookware shops.
FOR THE OLIVE PASTE:
1 cup pitted black olives
2 teaspoons drained capers (optional)
1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped (optional)
1 anchovy fillet (optional), patted dry and coarsely chopped
½ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes (optional)
About 1 tablespoon olive oil
Coarsely ground or cracked black peppercorns
FOR THE PANINI:
4 slices (about ½ inch thick) dense white sandwich bread
1½ tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature or melted
4 ounces fresh mozzarella, drained and cut into ¼-inch slices
Cooking oil spray
1. Make the olive paste: Place the olives and capers, garlic, anchovy, and/or hot pepper flakes, if using, in a food processor and coarsely chop. Add enough oil to process into a thick coarse paste. Season with black pepper to taste.
2. Preheat the grill (for instructions for using a contact grill, see page 3); if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill.
3. Make the panini: Using a knife or pastry brush, spread or brush the slices of bread on one side with the butter. Place 2 slices of bread on a work surface buttered side down and spread half of the olive paste over them. Arrange half of the slices of mozzarella on each slice of bread, trimming them so that they come just to the edges of the bread. Place the cheese trimmings in the center of the panini. Spread the remaining olive paste on the unbuttered side of the remaining 2 slices of bread, then place these on top of the panini, buttered side up.
4. When ready to cook, lightly coat the grill surface with cooking oil spray. Using a spatula, transfer the panini to the grill and close the lid. Grill the panini until the bread is crusty and golden brown and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes (see Tip on page 300). Cut the panini in half on the diagonal and serve at once.
VARIATION: For a colorful version of Mozzarella and Olive Paste Panini, substitute a sun-dried tomato paste for the olive paste made in Step 1 on page 303. Soak 3 ounces of air-dried tomato halves as described in Step 1 on page 300, draining them thoroughly. (You’ll have about 1¼ cups of tomatoes; if you have oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, you will not need to soak them.) Coarsely chop the tomatoes, then place them in a food processor. Add 3 coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves, 1 coarsely chopped garlic clove, 2 teaspoons of drained capers, and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and process until finely chopped. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil—enough to form a thick coarse paste. You’ll end up with about 1 cup of sun-dried tomato paste. It can be refrigerated, covered, for several days and would be good with all manner of grilled meat.
• You can certainly buy olive paste (pasta di olive), and if you’re short on time, it makes fine panini. However, it’s easy to make, and you can liven up the flavor with capers, garlic, and/or anchovies. You’ll get the most intense flavor if you use pitted kalamata or oil-cured olives, which are available at specialty food stores and Italian markets. For a milder olive paste, use pitted black California olives. Pitted green olives would make an offbeat olive paste.
• Feeling indulgent? Make the panini with the rare but delicious mozzarella made from buffalo milk.
I first sampled this sandwich at a neighborhood bar in the Giudecca, a residential island in Venice (and also home to the Cipriani hotel). The brusque counterpoint of salty anchovy and sweet mozzarella was as compelling as the contrast of crusty grilled bread and meltingly soft, gooey cheese. For an interesting appetizer, you could serve these panini cut into strips or quarters, atop the grilled tomato sauce on page 372. I think of this as the grilled version of mozzarella in carozza (literally, in a carriage). SERVES 2; CAN BE MULTIPLIED AS DESIRED
4 slices (about ½ inch thick) dense white sandwich bread
1½ tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature or melted
4 ounces fresh mozzarella, drained and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
12 to 16 anchovy fillets (about 1 ounce), drained well and blotted dry
Cooking oil spray
1. Preheat the grill (for instructions for using a contact grill, see page 3); if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill.
2. Using a knife or pastry brush, spread or brush the slices of bread on one side with the butter. Place 2 slices of bread on a work surface buttered side down and arrange half of the slices of mozzarella on each slice of bread, trimming them so that they come just to the edges of the bread. Place the cheese trimmings in the center of the panini. Arrange the anchovy fillets on top side-by-side, placing 6 to 8 on each of the panini. Place the remaining 2 slices of bread on top, buttered side up.
3. When ready to cook, lightly coat the grill surface with cooking oil spray. Using a spatula, transfer the panini to the grill and gently close the lid. Grill the panini until the bread is crusty and golden brown and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes (see Tip on page 300). Cut the panini in half on the diagonal and serve at once.
For the best results, use oil-packed anchovies (drain them well and blot them dry with paper towels) and a fresh artisanal mozzarella. Look for mozzarella that is sold in liquid and is sweet with the scent of fresh milk.
Goat cheese and roasted peppers have become part of the American flavor palate. The counterpoint of sweet smoky roasted bell peppers and sourish, chalky, tangy goat cheese remains irresistible, as you’ll discover with these crusty panini. SERVES 2; CAN BE MULTIPLIED AS DESIRED
The options for goat cheese range from soft, mild, log-shaped ones, like Montrachet, to sharper, stronger, soft-ripened cheeses. The milder kind goes particularly well with roasted peppers.
4 ounces goat cheese, cut crosswise into ¼-inch slices
2 soft Italian rolls, split
2 roasted red or yellow bell peppers (see Variation on page 329), peeled, seeded, and cut into strips
1 tablespoon drained capers
2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
Cooking oil spray
1. Preheat the grill (for instructions for using a contact grill, see page 3); if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill.
2. Place half of the slices of goat cheese on the bottom half of each roll, making sure they don’t stick out over the edge. Top with the strips of bell pepper and the capers. Drizzle 1½ teaspoons of olive oil on top of the panini, then season them with salt and black pepper and cover with the top half of the rolls. Lightly brush the outside of the rolls with olive oil.
3. When ready to cook, lightly coat the grill surface with cooking oil spray. Using a spatula, transfer the panini to the grill and close the lid. Grill the panini until the rolls are crusty and golden brown and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes (see Tip on page 300). Cut the panini in half on the diagonal and serve at once.
Polenta and panini—two great reasons to love Italy and two great reasons to fire up your grill. This recipe brings them together in a sort of grilled ham and cheese sandwich made with prosciutto and Fontina cheese and golden rounds of polenta instead of bread. Loosely inspired by Viana La Place’s colorful book Panini, Bruschetta, Crostini, it makes an interesting appetizer, a light first course, or a side dish. SERVES 4
For ease in preparation, use ready-made polenta, sold in plastic tubes in supermarkets.
1 package (18 ounces) precooked polenta
5 ounces very thinly sliced prosciutto (about 20 slices)
8 ounces very thinly sliced Fontina cheese (about 16 slices; see Note)
8 to 10 fresh sage leaves
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, or extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
Cooking oil spray
1. Cut the polenta crosswise into ¼-inch-thick slices. Place half of the slices on a work surface and top them with the prosciutto (it’s OK if the prosciutto sticks over the edge a little). Top the prosciutto with the Fontina. Place a sage leaf in the center of the “panini,” then cover with the remaining round of polenta. The recipe can be prepared several hours ahead to this stage. Cover the “panini” with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.
2. Preheat the grill (for instructions for using a contact grill, see page 3); if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill.
3. Lightly brush the “panini” on both sides with the melted butter. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
4. When ready to cook, lightly coat the grill surface with cooking oil spray. Place the “panini” on the hot grill and gently close the lid. Grill the “panini” until golden brown and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a platter or plates and serve at once.
NOTE: Fontina is a piquant, buttery, rich cheese from northern Italy—look for it at specialty food stores. For an American rendition of the “panini,” substitute white Cheddar or Jack cheese.
Italians aren’t the only people to have built a sandwich culture around a contact grill. The Cuban sandwich is the Spanish Caribbean answer to panini, and whether you enjoy it in Miami or Havana, it will always come buttery and crusty on the outside, hot and moist inside, and flat enough to bite into comfortably. The most famous Cuban sandwich is the medianoche, the midnighter, a regal combination of roast pork, cooked ham, Swiss cheese, and sliced pickles served on a small elongated sweet roll. Smaller than the formidable pan con lechón (page 311) or the Cubano (page 309), this is a sandwich that, in theory at least, you can eat after a movie or show without going to bed with indigestion. SERVES 2; CAN BE MULTIPLIED AS DESIRED
• You’ll need roast pork for the “Midnighter” Sandwiches. On page 94, you’ll find a recipe for Cuban–style roast pork, but you can also use regular oven-roasted pork.
• The traditional bread for a medianoche is a soft, sweet roll with a flavor like challah. And challah makes a good substitute.
About 2 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
2 soft, slightly sweet rolls (each 6 to 7 inches long), split, or 4 slices (about ½ inch thick) challah
1 generous tablespoon mayonnaise
1 generous tablespoon mustard (I like to use Dijon)
4 ounces thinly sliced Swiss cheese (about 6 slices)
3 ounces thinly sliced roast pork (about 6 slices)
1 dill pickle, thinly sliced
3 ounces thinly sliced baked or smoked ham (about 6 slices)
Cooking oil spray
YOU’LL ALSO NEED:
2 pieces parchment paper or aluminum foil (each 16 by 12 inches)
1. Preheat the grill (for instructions for using a contact grill, see page 3); if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill.
2. Lightly butter the outside of the rolls. Spread the mayonnaise on the cut side of the bottom half of the rolls. Spread the mustard on the cut side of the top half of the rolls. (If using slices of challah, spread one side of each with the butter, then spread the mayonnaise on the unbuttered side of 2 slices and the mustard on the unbuttered side of the remaining 2 slices.) Place the Swiss cheese on top of the bottom (mayonnaise-covered) half of the rolls and top it with the roast pork. Place the pickle slices on top of the top (mustard-covered) half of the rolls and top them with the ham. Leave the sandwich halves open.
3. Lightly brush the 2 pieces of parchment paper with butter. Place 1 piece buttered side up on a work surface, with one of the long edges closest to you. Arrange the 2 halves of 1 sandwich on the left side of the piece of parchment paper, then fold the parchment paper over them. Repeat with the remaining sandwich halves and piece of parchment paper.
4. When ready to cook, lightly coat the grill surface with cooking oil spray. Arrange the paper-wrapped sandwiches on the hot grill at a diagonal to the ridges and close the lid. Grill the sandwiches until the rolls are crusty and golden brown and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Leave the grill turned on.
5. Unwrap the sandwiches and assemble them: Place the top halves on the bottom halves, bread side up. Place the sandwiches back on the grill and cook for 30 seconds, pressing on the grill to flatten them.
6. Cut each sandwich in half sharply on the diagonal (this is how it’s done at Miami’s Cuban sandwich shops) and serve at once.
Cuban bread—pan cubano—is a cousin of the French baguette, with several important distinctions. It contains lard, which is added for flavor; it’s much puffier and softer than French bread; and it’s deliberately underbaked so a dark brown crust doesn’t form. This may seem odd until you know that most Cuban bread is destined to be cooked a second time on a plancha (a sandwich press). The soft texture allows the bread to compress into a crisp sandwich, while the anemic crust browns without burning.
If you live in an area with a large Cuban community (like south Florida or Union City, New Jersey), you may be able to buy pan cubano. Otherwise, this is a good time to use the puffy, elongated loaves sold as “French” or “Italian” bread at your local supermarket. If you use one of these to make sandwiches, scoop out a little of the doughy center first.
Like many businesses in Miami, the Latin American Cafeteria began as a tiny mom-and-pop shop specializing in Cuban sandwiches and grew into a multimillion-dollar restaurant chain. When you want to experience the Cuban sandwich in all its glory, look for one of the half-dozen Latin American Cafeterias in greater Miami. The basic layout is a U-shaped counter with a raised platform in the center on which sandwich makers practice their craft like high priests at some culinary altar. Up and down go the sandwich presses, turning out dozens, make that hundreds, of sandwiches an hour. Hanging from the ceiling is an ingredient you might be surprised to find at a Cuban sandwich shop—Smithfield ham—but this sweet, salty, dry-cured ham is an essential ingredient in the house specialty: El Cubano Especial. Think of it as the ultimate paean to pork, a belt-loosening sandwich made with roast pork, baked ham, and Smithfield ham, with just a little melted Swiss cheese to hold it together. SERVES 2; CAN BE MULTIPLIED AS DESIRED
• To make this sandwich you’ll need roast pork. There’s a recipe for a great Cuban spit-roasted pork shoulder on page 94.
• Cubans would use baked ham, but an American-style smoked ham gives you even more flavor.
• It used to be that Smithfield ham was only available whole, but more and more gourmet shops sell it sliced or in pieces. In a pinch, you can substitute sliced prosciutto.
• It’s not strictly traditional, but I like to paint the bread with mustard before adding the meat.
About 2 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
1 loaf Cuban bread (see sidebar on page 309) or French bread, cut crosswise into 2 pieces (each about 10 inches long) and split
3 ounces thinly sliced roast pork; be sure to include some of the dark-brown outside bits
3 ounces thinly sliced Smithfield ham (about 8 slices)
2 ounces thinly sliced Swiss cheese (about 4 slices)
3 ounces thinly sliced baked or smoked ham (about 8 slices)
Cooking oil spray
YOU’LL ALSO NEED:
2 pieces parchment paper or aluminum foil (each 16 by 12 inches)
1. Preheat the grill (for instructions for using a contact grill, see page 3); if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill.
2. Lightly butter the outside of the bread. Place the pork on the bottom half of the bread, then top it with the Smithfield ham. Place the cheese on the top half of the bread and cover it with the baked ham. Leave the sandwich halves open.
3. Lightly brush the 2 pieces of parchment paper with butter. Place 1 piece buttered side up on a work surface, with one of the long edges closest to you. Arrange the 2 halves of 1 sandwich on the left side of the piece of parchment paper, then fold the parchment paper over them. Repeat with the remaining sandwich halves and piece of parchment paper.
4. When ready to cook, lightly coat the grill surface with cooking oil spray. Arrange the paper-wrapped sandwiches on the hot grill at a diagonal to the ridges and close the lid. Grill the sandwiches until the bread is crusty and golden brown and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Leave the grill turned on.
5. Unwrap the sandwiches and assemble them: Place the top halves on the bottom halves, bread side up. Place the sandwiches back on the grill and cook for 30 seconds, pressing on the grill to flatten them.
6. Cut each sandwich in half crosswise, then cut each half in half lengthwise and serve at once.
So, how do you make the perfect Cuban sandwich or grinder—one where the cheese fully melts, the cold cuts and meats are steaming hot, and the bread is crusty and browned but not burnt? Well, it takes more than simply putting the sandwich on your contact grill. Enter Marta Sanchez, the Boaco, Nicaragua–born coffee and sandwich diva of the L&A Market, a combination gas station, wine shop, and café that serves as my daily breakfast stop. Marta makes simply the best café con leche in Miami, and the writing of this book was fueled by many a cup of her perfect strong, sweet, dark, creamy brew.
When it comes time to make the medianoche (“midnighter”; page 308) or Cubano (mixed pork; page 309) sandwiches that feed legions of Miamians at lunchtime, Marta uses a grilling technique found at many Miami sandwich shops. She puts the two halves of the sandwich open-faced on buttered parchment paper, with the meat on top of the cheese. Then she puts the sandwich, paper and all, in the sandwich press with another piece of buttered parchment paper on top. The butter crisps the bread and sizzles the meat while the cheese melts. (The parchment paper has the added advantage of keeping the grill clean.) When everything is heated through, Marta simply folds the two halves of the sandwich shut, guaranteeing a crisp crust, hot meat, and melted cheese every time. The technique works well for all kinds of sandwiches made with meat and cold cuts, including the grinders on page 316 and muffulettas on page 317.
Whenever visiting food dignitaries come to Miami, I take them to El Palacio de los Jugos. Part juice bar, part produce market, and part food court, the colorful, boisterous “Juice Palace” embodies the Spanish Caribbean soul of Miami. The first concession you encounter on the left when you enter is a roast pork vendor with the best pan con lechón (roast pork sandwiches) in Miami. This is not a sandwich to make when you’re feeling ambivalent about your appetite, but if you’re hungry—real hungry—nothing else quite hits the spot. SERVES 2; CAN BE MULTIPLIED AS DESIRED
Roast pork is essential for this sandwich, and on page 94 there’s a recipe for Cuban-style pork shoulder cooked in a rotisserie. Or you can use oven-roasted pork.
1 loaf Cuban bread (see the sidebar on page 309) or French bread, cut crosswise into 2 pieces (each about 10 inches long) and split
1½ tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature or melted
8 to 10 ounces chopped or thinly sliced roast pork (about 10 slices); be sure to include some of the dark brown outside bits
1 small sweet white onion, sliced paper-thin
4 to 6 tablespoons Cuban Garlic, Cumin, Citrus Sauce (recipe follows)
Cooking oil spray
1. Preheat the grill (for instructions for using a contact grill, see page 3); if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill.
2. Using a knife or pastry brush, spread or brush the outside of the pieces of bread with the butter. Place half of the roast pork slices on the bottom half of each piece of bread and top with the onion slices. Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of the Cuban Garlic, Cumin, Citrus Sauce over each sandwich, then cover with the top half of the rolls.
3. When ready to cook, lightly coat the grill surface with cooking oil spray. Arrange the sandwiches on the hot grill at a diagonal to the ridges and close the lid. Grill the sandwiches until the bread is crusty and golden brown and the pork is heated through, about 5 minutes (see Tip on page 300). Cut each sandwich in half sharply on the diagonal (this is how it’s done at Miami’s Cuban sandwich shops) and serve at once.
Here’s my version of mojo (pronounced “MO-ho”), Cuba’s answer to vinaigrette—a pungent fried-garlic sauce perfumed with cumin and oregano and spiked with piquant naranja agria—sour orange—juice. In Miami, you can buy bottled mojo at any supermarket, but the homemade version is always better. And you can customize it, using lime juice, lemon juice, or even grapefruit juice in place of the sour orange juice. This recipe makes more than you need for the Cuban Roast Pork Sandwiches on page 311, but the sauce keeps well, and you’ll want to spoon it over every imaginable meat, from grilled steaks to spit-roasted pork. MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley
½ cup sour orange juice, or ⅓ cup fresh lime juice and 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon dried oregano
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
1. Heat the olive oil in a deep nonreactive saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cilantro and cook until just beginning to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Do not let them burn.
2. Immediately stir in the sour orange juice, cumin, oregano, and 2 tablespoons of water and bring to a boil. Let the sauce boil until the sour orange juice loses its sharpness, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste; the mojo should be highly seasoned. Let cool to room temperature before using. I like to keep the mojo in a bottle or jar so I can shake it well when I’m ready to use it. It can be refrigerated for several days.
The sour orange is a citrus fruit that looks like an orange, only it’s greenish in color. Its flavor is akin to a lime with a hint of orangy sweetness. If you live in an area with a large Spanish Caribbean community, you can probably find it at the supermarket. Lime juice with a squeeze of fresh orange juice will approximate the flavor.
This is one of the most curious sandwiches to come off a contact grill. While the combination of roast turkey, cream cheese, and cranberry sauce may sound odd, it’s quite delicious. The original Elena Ruz, made with turkey, cream cheese, and strawberry jam on toast, is a sandwich named for a Havana socialite of the 1920s. A little less sugary than strawberry jam, cranberry sauce makes this a great sandwich to assemble with Thanksgiving leftovers. SERVES 2; CAN BE MULTIPLIED AS DESIRED
• Use roast turkey or roast turkey breast for these sandwiches, not turkey roll. Smoked turkey makes an even richer, if less conventional, Elena Ruz. There are several good recipes on pages 206 through 212.
• To make a traditional Elena Ruz sandwich, substitute strawberry preserves for the cranberry sauce.
2 soft sandwich rolls (each 6 to 7 inches long), split, or 2 pieces (each about 8 inches long) French bread, split
1½ tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature or melted
3 ounces cream cheese (6 tablespoons), at room temperature
4 ounces thinly sliced roast or smoked turkey (about 12 slices)
6 tablespoons cranberry sauce or cranberry jelly, at room temperature
Cooking oil spray
1. Preheat the grill (for instructions for using a contact grill, see page 3); if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill.
2. Using a knife or pastry brush, spread or brush the outside of the rolls with the butter. Spread half of the cream cheese on top of the bottom half of each roll. Arrange the slices of turkey on top of the cream cheese, dividing them evenly between the 2 sandwiches and trimming them so that they come just to the edge of the rolls. Place the turkey trimmings in the center of the sandwiches. Spoon the cranberry sauce on top of the turkey, dividing it evenly between the 2 sandwiches. Cover the sandwiches with the top half of the rolls.
3. When ready to cook, lightly coat the grill surface with cooking oil spray. Arrange the sandwiches on the hot grill at a diagonal to the ridges and close the lid. Grill the sandwiches until the rolls are crusty and golden brown and hot in the center, about 5 minutes (see Tip on page 300). Cut each sandwich in half sharply on the diagonal and serve at once.
This sandwich came to light chiefly in my imagination (I’ve certainly never seen it on a menu), and yet it’s inspired by a snack eaten by thousands of Miamians each morning. The snack—coffee break fare—features a sweet, perfumed slice of guava paste and a slab of salty queso blanco or cream cheese baked together in a puff pastry envelope or deep fried in an empanada. What makes the combination work is the contrast of the sweet, musky guava with the piquant cheese, and there’s no reason the two can’t be enjoyed in a grilled sandwich. Especially when the sandwich is made with puffy Cuban bread, which compresses into a crisp crust when cooked on a contact grill. SERVES 2; CAN BE MULTIPLIED AS DESIRED
For cheese, there are two options: cream cheese, which is now favored by many first- and second-generation Hispanics, or queso blanco, a firm, salty white cheese that makes your teeth squeak when you bite into it. Queso blanco is available at Hispanic markets and at a growing number of supermarkets. The contrast of flavor with the guava paste is more dramatic when you use queso blanco. Paired with cream cheese the effect is more subtle.
2 pieces (each about 8 inches long) Cuban bread (see sidebar on page 309) or soft French bread, split
1½ tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature or melted
4 ounces cream cheese (½ cup), at room temperature, or 4 ounces queso blanco, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
4 ounces guava paste (see Note), cut into ¼-inch-thick slices (about 8 slices)
Cooking oil spray
1. Preheat the grill (for instructions for using a contact grill, see page 3); if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill.
2. Using a knife or pastry brush, spread or brush the outside of the pieces of bread with the butter. Spread half of the cream cheese on the bottom half of each roll. (If using queso blanco, arrange half of the slices on the bottom half of each roll, trimming them so that they come just to the edges of the bread. Place the cheese trimmings in the center of the sandwiches.) Arrange the slices of guava paste on top, then cover the sandwiches with the top half of the rolls.
3. When ready to cook, lightly coat the grill surface with cooking oil spray. Arrange the sandwiches on the hot grill at a diagonal to the ridges and close the lid. Grill the sandwiches until the bread is crusty and golden brown and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes (see Tip on page 300). Cut each sandwich in half sharply on the diagonal and serve at once.
NOTE: Guava paste is a sort of thick crimson jelly made from the fragrant tropical fruit. When I say thick, I mean it—it’s thick enough to slice, the way you would jellied cranberry sauce. The best guava paste comes in round flat cans (there’s a cheaper version sold in rectangular slabs in cardboard boxes, but it tends to fall apart when grilled). One good, widely available brand is Goya.
In the 1970s, my folks lived in Williamstown, Massachusetts. On my first visit home from college, I discovered the western Massachusetts version of what up until then I had called a hoagie—the grinder. (Elsewhere in the United States this oversize sandwich made with an assortment of cold cuts, such as ham, salami, and mortadella; cheese; and hot peppers also goes by the names submarine, hero, and Italian sandwich.) What was new to me about this grinder was that it was baked in a pizza oven. The result was a crisp roll stuffed with melting cheese and sizzling hot cold cuts. A grinder that has been cooked on a contact grill is easier to eat because it’s flatter, but it’s every bit as crusty and delectable as the original. SERVES 2; CAN BE MULTIPLIED AS DESIRED
2 tablespoons (¼ stick) salted butter, at room temperature
2 hoagie or submarine rolls, split
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 ounces thinly sliced Provolone cheese (about 4 slices)
2 ounces thinly sliced capocolla or baked ham (about 6 slices)
2 ounces thinly sliced Italian salami (about 6 slices)
2 tablespoons hot pepper relish (optional)
¼ head iceberg lettuce, cored and shredded paper-thin with a chef’s knife or in a food processor
1 medium-size tomato, very thinly sliced
A few paper-thin slices sweet onion (optional)
1 to 4 pickled hot peppers, thinly sliced (optional; see Note)
2 ounces thinly sliced mortadella (about 6 slices)
Cooking oil spray
YOU’LL ALSO NEED:
2 pieces parchment paper or aluminum foil (each 16 by 12 inches)
Mortadella is an Italian sausage similar to bologna; capocolla is a spicy shoulder ham. Both will be available at Italian delis, if they’re not at the supermarket.
1. Preheat the grill (for instructions for using a contact grill, see page 3); if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill.
2. Lightly butter the outside of the rolls. Spread 1 tablespoon of the mayonnaise on the bottom half of each roll. Layer half of the Provolone, capocolla, and salami on the bottom half of each roll in that order, making sure that they don’t stick out over the edges.
3. Spread 1 tablespoon of the hot pepper relish, if using, on the top of each roll and top each with half of the lettuce and tomato, the onion and hot peppers, if using, and the mortadella in that order, making sure that they don’t stick out over the edges. Leave the sandwich halves open.
4. Lightly brush the 2 pieces of parchment paper with butter. Place 1 piece, buttered side up, on a work surface with one of the long edges closest to you. Arrange the 2 halves of 1 sandwich on the left side of the piece of parchment paper, then fold the paper over them. Repeat with the remaining sandwich halves and piece of parchment paper.
5. When ready to cook, lightly coat the grill surface with cooking oil spray. Arrange the paper-wrapped sandwiches on the hot grill at a diagonal to the ridges and close the lid. Grill the sandwiches until the bread is crusty and golden brown and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Leave the grill turned on.
6. Unwrap the sandwiches and assemble them, covering the bottom halves with the top. Place the sandwiches back on the grill and cook for 30 seconds, pressing on the grill to flatten them. Cut each sandwich in half crosswise and serve at once.
NOTE: You want hot peppers pickled in vinegar or brine—the kind that come in a jar.
The muffuletta is New Orleans’ answer to a submarine sandwich. Legend credits its invention to Salvatore Lupo, founder of the Central Grocery, a landmark Italian food store on Decatur Street in the French Quarter (it takes its name from a round loaf of Sicilian bread). The idea of grilling a muffuletta comes not from New Orleans (where the very notion would probably smack of heresy) but from one of our neighborhood restaurants on Martha’s Vineyard, Alchemy on Main Street in Edgartown. The inspiration for grilled muffuletta may be the grinder of western Massachusetts (see page 316) or it may be the Italian practice of grilling a simple cheese or prosciutto sandwich on a panini machine. Either way, what results is a splendid new take on a New Orleans classic. SERVES 2; CAN BE MULTIPLIED AS DESIRED
• In New Orleans, muffulettas are made with a crusty, chewy, round, sesame seed–dotted bread. I’m going to suggest a rather unorthodox substitute here—a kaiser roll (I like the way a panini machine flattens kaiser rolls to produce a crunchy crust).
• Traditional tasso is spicy smoked Louisiana pork. Look for it at specialty food stores or see Mail-Order Sources on page 396. You can substitute spiced or smoked ham.
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 kaiser rolls, split
3 ounces thinly sliced sharp Provolone cheese (about 4 slices)
2 ounces thinly sliced tasso or smoked ham (about 6 slices)
A few paper-thin slices sweet onion
½ cup New Orleans Olive Relish (recipe follows)
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto (about 6 slices)
2 ounces thinly sliced Italian salami (about 6 slices)
Cooking oil spray
YOU’LL ALSO NEED:
2 pieces parchment paper or aluminum foil (each 16 by 12 inches)
1. Preheat the grill (for instructions for using a contact grill, see page 3); if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill.
2. Drizzle 1½ teaspoons of the olive oil over the inside and outside of each roll. Layer half of the Provolone and tasso on the bottom half of each roll. Layer half of the onion, ¼ cup of the olive relish, and half of the prosciutto and salami on the top half of each roll in that order. Leave the sandwich halves open.
3. Oil the 2 pieces of parchment paper with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Place 1 piece, oiled side up, on a work surface with one of the long edges closest to you. Arrange the 2 halves of 1 sandwich on the left side of the piece of parchment paper, then fold the parchment paper over them. Repeat with the remaining sandwich halves and piece of parchment paper.
4. When ready to cook, lightly coat the grill surface with cooking oil spray. Arrange the paper-wrapped sandwiches on the hot grill and close the lid. Grill the sandwiches until the bread is crusty and golden brown and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Leave the grill turned on.
5. Unwrap the sandwiches and assemble them, covering the bottom halves with the top. Place the sandwiches back on the grill and cook for 30 seconds, pressing on the grill to flatten them. Cut each sandwich in half and serve at once.
It’s the tangy olive relish that makes a muffuletta a muffuletta (without it, the sandwich is pretty much like a hoagie or submarine). Feel free to vary the basic proportions of the ingredients to come up with the flavor you like best. Some versions of the relish include pickled carrots, cauliflower, and onions, and of course you can add any of these. This recipe makes more than you’ll need for two muffulettas. It’s great spooned over just about everything that’s grilled—I’m sure you won’t have any trouble finding a use for what’s left over. MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP
½ cup pimento-stuffed green olives
½ cup pitted black olives or kalamata olives
1 celery rib, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons drained capers
1 pickled hot pepper, coarsely chopped, or ½ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, or more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Place the green and black olives, celery, garlic, parsley, capers, hot pepper, and oregano in a food processor and coarsely or finely chop them, running the machine in short bursts. (The olive mixture can be whatever texture you prefer; just don’t purée it.) Add the olive oil and vinegar and pulse the machine just to mix. Taste for seasoning, adding more vinegar as necessary and black pepper to taste. The relish will keep for several weeks stored in a glass jar in the refrigerator.
The Reuben is the apotheosis of the American melting pot—corned beef, Swiss cheese, German sauerkraut, Russian dressing, and rye bread—brought together, so the story goes, by Arnold Reuben, owned of Reuben’s Restaurant in New York City. The year was 1914, according to Reuben’s daughter in a story told in The Dictionary of American Food & Drink, by John Mariani. The occasion was a visit by a vaudeville actress named Annette Seelos. Reuben created the legendary sandwich for Seelos but decided (perhaps after tasting it) to name it for himself. Not that you can blame him, because the combination of sweet, salty, and sour, of crisp, chewy, gooey, is unique in the annals of sandwiches.
SERVES 2; CAN BE MULTIPLIED AS DESIRED
Reuben sandwiches are widely available and frequently ghastly—the result of improperly sliced corned beef, inferior cheese, soggy sauerkraut, and/or commercial Russian dressing. The corned beef should be sliced paper-thin across the grain. The cheese should be true Emmentaler, imported from Switzerland and recognizable by its sweet nutty flavor. The sauerkraut should be barrel-fresh or from a jar or bag, never canned. It should be drained in a colander, then pressed with the back of a spoon to wring out the juices. As for the Russian dressing, it’s so easy to prepare from scratch, there’s really no reason not to make your own.
4 slices dark rye bread or marbled rye bread
2 tablespoons (¼ stick) salted butter, at room temperature or melted
¼ cup Russian Dressing (recipe follows)
3 ounces corned beef, sliced paper-thin across the grain (about 8 slices)
3 ounces thinly sliced Emmentaler cheese (about 4 slices)
⅔ cup drained sauerkraut
1 dill pickle, thinly sliced (not traditional, but an interesting way to top off the sandwich)
Cooking oil spray
1. Preheat the grill (for instructions for using a contact grill, see page 3); if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill.
2. Using a knife or pastry brush, spread or brush the slices of bread on one side with the butter. Place 2 slices of bread on a work surface buttered side down, then spread the top of each with 1 tablespoon of the Russian Dressing. Arrange the slices of corned beef on the bread, followed by the slices of cheese, trimming both so that they come just to the edges of the bread. Place the trimmings in the center of the sandwiches. Spoon ⅓ cup of the sauerkraut over each sandwich, spreading it out to the edges of the bread. Top each sandwich with half of the pickle slices. Spread the unbuttered side of the remaining 2 slices of bread with the remaining 2 tablespoons of Russian dressing, dividing it evenly between them, then place them on top of the sandwiches, Russian Dressing side down.
4. When ready to cook, lightly coat the grill surface with cooking oil spray. Using a spatula, transfer the sandwiches to the hot grill and gently close the lid. Grill the sandwiches until the bread is browned and crisp and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Cut each sandwich in half and serve at once.
Despite the name, Russian Dressing is an American condiment made by combining mayonnaise with chili sauce and pickle relish. This recipe makes more than you’ll need for two Reubens—it’s good to have the dressing on hand for dipping or spreading on other sandwiches. It will keep for several days in the refrigerator. MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP
⅔ cup mayonnaise (preferably Hellmann’s)
¼ cup chili sauce or ketchup
2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
Freshly ground black pepper
Place the mayonnaise, chili sauce, and pickle relish in a small nonreactive bowl and stir or whisk to mix. Season with pepper to taste.
By chili sauce, I mean the sweet red condiment similar to ketchup; one widely available brand is Heinz. For an exotic Reuben, you could substitute a hotter sauce, like the Thai Sriracha.
Most people come to the legendary Joe’s Stone Crab in Miami Beach for—you guessed it—stone crabs. When you’ve had your fill of this delectable crustacean, you might try one of the restaurant’s lesser-known specialties. Joe’s Stone Crab uses Florida lobster, a.k.a. spiny lobster, to make its Reubens, but the sandwiches are equally delectable made with Maine lobster or, for that matter, crab. SERVES 2; CAN BE MULTIPLIED AS DESIRED
4 slices light rye bread
2 tablespoons (¼ stick) salted butter, at room temperature or melted
¼ cup Russian Dressing (this page)
3 ounces thinly sliced Emmentaler cheese (about 4 slices)
3 ounces cooked lobster meat, thinly sliced
⅔ cup drained sauerkraut (see Note)
Cooking oil spray
1. Preheat the grill (for instructions for using a contact grill, see page 3); if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill.
2. Using a knife or pastry brush, spread or brush the slices of bread on one side with the butter. Place 2 slices of bread on a work surface buttered side down, then spread the top of each with 1 tablespoon of the Russian Dressing. Arrange half of the slices of Emmentaler on the bread, trimming them so that they come just to the edges. Place the cheese trimmings in the center of the sandwiches. Top each sandwich with half of the lobster meat.
3. Spoon ⅓ cup of the sauerkraut over each sandwich, spreading it out to the edges of the bread. Arrange the remaining slices of Emmentaler on top of the sandwiches, trimming the edges to fit. Spread the unbuttered side of the remaining 2 slices of bread with the remaining 2 tablespoons of Russian Dressing, dividing it evenly between them, then place them on top of the sandwiches, Russian Dressing side down.
4. When ready to cook, lightly coat the grill surface with cooking oil spray. Using a spatula, transfer the sandwiches to the hot grill and gently close the lid. Grill the sandwiches until the bread is browned and crisp and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Cut each sandwich in half and serve at once.
NOTE: For the best results, use barrel-fresh sauerkraut or sauerkraut from a jar, not canned, and drain it in a colander.
Joe’s Stone Crab cooks its Reubens on a giant gas grill. First two slices of bread are grilled open-faced, with a slice of cheese atop each. Then the lobster and sauerkraut are added and the sandwich is assembled. Keep this procedure in mind if you want to make the sandwich on a built-in or freestanding grill.
A camp breakfast classic, egg in the hole is an egg fried in a slice of bread that has a hole cut in the center. The traditional recipe presents a major challenge—turning the concoction over without breaking the egg yolk. Enter the contact grill, which makes a very nifty fried egg sandwich that you don’t have to turn. What else is new about this egg in the hole? For an upscale touch, I’ve made it with a quail egg and brioche instead of ordinary white bread. To round out the flavors, I add Canadian bacon and cheese. For something even more decadent, you can sprinkle a little truffle oil on top. MAKES 8; SERVES 2 TO 4 AS AN APPETIZER, 2 AS A LIGHT MAIN COURSE
If your bakery doesn’t carry brioche, you can make eggs in the hole with a soft, fat loaf of French bread, but don’t use a crusty baguette.
16 thin slices (about ¼ inch thick) brioche or French bread (each slice should be 2½ to 3 inches in diameter or square)
2 to 3 tablespoons butter, melted
8 thin slices (3 to 4 ounces) white Cheddar, Jack, or Gruyère cheese, cut to just fit the bread
8 thin slices (3 to 4 ounces) Canadian bacon, ham, or prosciutto, cut to just fit the bread
Cooking oil spray
8 quail eggs (see Note)
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
Truffle oil (optional)
1. Preheat the grill (for instructions for using a contact grill, see page 3); if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill.
2. Using a round cookie cutter or a piping bag tip, cut a 1-inch hole in the center of 8 of the slices of brioche. Brush the other 8 slices on one side with some of the butter and place them on a work surface, butter side down. Place a slice of cheese on top of each buttered slice of brioche, then top with a slice of Canadian bacon. Place the remaining slices of bread on top of the Canadian bacon and brush the tops with the remaining butter.
3. When ready to cook, lightly coat the grill surface with cooking oil spray. Arrange the sandwiches on the hot grill with the holes facing up. (You may need to work in batches.) For fully cooked quail eggs, add them to the sandwiches now. The shells of quail eggs are a little tougher to crack than chicken eggs; using a sharp knife, crack off the top ¼ inch of one, then pour out the egg into the hole in a sandwich. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Gently lower the lid and grill the sandwiches until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. If you like your egg yolks runny, let the sandwiches grill for 2 minutes, then add the quail eggs.
4. Transfer the sandwiches to a platter or plates and season each with a little salt and pepper. Sprinkle each sandwich with a few drops of truffle oil, if desired, and serve at once.
NOTE: Quail eggs are available at specialty food stores and many supermarkets. If you like your yolks a little runny, add the eggs halfway through the grilling process. If you like them well-done, add the eggs when you put the sandwiches on the grill.