WELSH RAREBIT GRILLED CHEESE
Makes 2 dozen pieces
Bubbly cheese laced with mustard on crisp toast with strips of bacon and slices of tomato is classic “pub grub” in England, and its finger-food version is a great snack to accompany a Bloody Mary, too.
1 pound sliced bacon
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 shallots, minced
½ cup Dijon mustard
24 slices white sandwich bread
7 ounces Cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
4 ripe plum tomatoes, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced
¾ cup mayonnaise
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Cover a rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil, and place a wire rack on the foil. Arrange the strips of bacon on the rack, place the pan in the oven, and cook the bacon for 15 to 20 minutes, or until it becomes crisp and brown. Pat the bacon with paper towels, and set aside.
While the bacon cooks, heat the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 5 minutes, or until soft and lightly browned. Stir the shallots into the mustard, and set aside.
To assemble the sandwiches, trim the crusts off of the bread using a serrated bread knife. Spread the mustard mixture on one side of 12 bread slices. Top the mustard with strips of bacon and then layers of cheese and tomato.
Cover your counter with parchment paper. Spread mayonnaise on one side of the remaining bread slices. Top the sandwiches with the mayonnaise side up and then flip the sandwiches over and spread mayonnaise on the other sides.
Heat a large griddle over medium heat. Grill the sandwiches for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until brown and crusty. Allow them to cool for 3 minutes, and then cut them in half diagonally. Serve immediately.
Note: The sandwiches can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated, tightly covered. Reheat them in a 375ºF oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or until hot and crisp.
CELERY STUFFED WITH PIMIENTO CHEESE
Makes 18 pieces
Pimiento cheese is called “the pâté of the South,” but its origins were in New York in the 1870s, which is when cream cheese was invented and pimiento peppers were first exported from Spain.
¾ cup shredded extra-sharp white Cheddar cheese
¾ cup shredded extra-sharp orange Cheddar cheese
½ cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tablespoon grated onion
1 garlic clove, pushed through a garlic press
¼ cup finely chopped pimientos, plus more for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 celery ribs
Combine the white Cheddar, orange Cheddar, mayonnaise, cream cheese, onion, and garlic in a food processor. Mix well, using on-and-off pulsing. Scrape the mixture into a mixing bowl.
Place the pimientos on a paper towel and pat them dry. Stir them into the cheese mixture, and season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Trim the wide end off each celery rib and trim the narrow end where it begins to branch; each rib should then be about 8 inches long. Cut a thin slice off the curved bottom of each rib so that it will sit flat and securely on a platter. Fill the center of the ribs with the cheese mixture, and garnish with additional chopped pimientos. Cut the ribs into 2- to 2½-inch lengths, and serve.
Note: The cheese mixture can be prepared up to 5 days in advance and refrigerated, tightly covered. Allow it to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before spreading it.
Variations: Substitute Monterey Jack or jalapeño Jack for the white Cheddar cheese; reduce the pimientos to 2 tablespoons and add 2 tablespoons finely chopped green or black olives to the cheese mixture.
While celery is traditional, there are other fresh vegetables that can be embellished with the cheese mixture. Put a dollop at the wide end of a spear of Belgian endive, or cut 2-inch sections from an English cucumber and hollow out the center with a melon baller, or place some in the center of a leaf of radicchio.