Kappacasein’s cheese sandwich

The bread they use is from famous Parisian boulangerie Poilâne. As a substitute, owner William Oglethorpe recommends day-old (or two-day-old) sourdough. The cheese used at the market is Montgomery cheddar. “A mature cheddar would be fine,” says William, “maybe with some kind of Gruyère – that would be nice.” The ratio of bread to cheese, says William, should be 50:50. He explains that the rate at which you toast the sandwich is very important: if you toast too slowly, the cheese will be too melty and the bread will get soggy, but if you toast too fast, the bread will burn and the cheese won’t melt. You’re looking for a little crunch, but still a bit of breadiness, melting cheese – but not all melted – and to taste all the ingredients separately.

Credit: Feast Magazine

• makes

  4

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 8 slices of day-old sourdough
• 1 tbsp melted butter
• 500 g (4 cups) aged cheddar, grated
• 2 pencil leeks, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp finely chopped red onion
• 1 tbsp finely chopped white onion
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped

Instructions

Preheat a sandwich press and place slices of bread on a clean board. Brush each slice with a little butter, then turn over so unbuttered side is facing up. Divide cheese, leeks, onions and garlic between four slices, then top each with another slice of bread.

Toast each sandwich in preheated sandwich press for 4 minutes or until golden and melted.

Photography Chris Chen

As seen in Feast magazine, November 2013, Issue 26. For more recipes and articles, pick up a copy of this month's Feast magazine or check out our great subscriptions offers here.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.