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SPROUT
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THE PERFECT GRILLED CHEESE... I’m Sprout! I make sad music to silly costumes. I was born in Burnley, put together in Liverpool, and newly live in the big smoke.
As a creative with lots of feelings and a hyperactive brain, the world we’re living in can sometimes feel really rather overwhelming. And, whilst I love an intense chat or a dive into the deep pool we all have to swim through about who we are, why we’re here, what’s this all about, and how on earth do we deal with the endless injustices we face(!?), I think sometimes it’s easy to miss the importance of enjoying the small things and seeking pleasure in the day-to-day. Specifically, when it comes to food.
I pondered if talking about how to make the perfect grilled cheese would seem insincere or juvenile, but the facts are that to live, we have to eat. Food in its truest form is a core need for human survival, and yet so much of the time, it feels like an inconvenience. But along with music, making meals for myself has proven to be one of the best outlets for my hang-ups, my woes and my worries, and brings me back to just simply existing. I make music because it makes me feel better, and I’d perhaps even quietly hope that it might make someone else feel better too. So what better way to represent that than to share with you a recipe for something that warms your soul, as well as your belly. When I was writing my EP, I was in the throes of the 2020 lockdown, having an identity crisis, and going through a breakup. And it is this combination of perfecting the grilled cheese and writing music that saw me through it. So this is my gift to you, I hope you indulge and treat yourself! It’s easily accessible, only needs a few ingredients and takes up 15 minutes of your time from start to finish. At the end, you’ve got a hearty meal and hopefully, a lighter disposition.
THINGS TO NOTE:
The most salient point, and one that I cannot stress the importance of enough… The soundtrack to the ultimate feel-good and grilled cheese glorifying film, ‘Chef’ must be played throughout both the cooking and eating experience for maximum pleasure and glee. After all, this is an indulging experience for the senses, and one to be revelled in and respected. Dancing is encouraged, but not required if one would prefer to make less of a mess.
Nothing in this recipe is to be applied ‘lightly’ or in halves. As aforementioned, this is a recipe to feed the stomach and soul, and in order to do so, one must allow themselves to apply, spread, and layer up freely and fruitfully. Your body is a temple, but so is this sandwich. Run wild and free with all the bread, cheese and butter your life (or your fridge) has to throw at you! In complete contrast to the previous point, whilst this is a medicine for a much-needed pick-me-up, it’s not so much meant as a daily dose to sustain your physical health. Let it be a special occasion, a cheeky treat, and if not, know that I take no responsibility for the clogging of any arteries.
If you want it GF, use GF bread. If you want it vegan, grab yourself some vegan cheeses. Adapt as necessary, you wear the sailor’s hat to the boat of your own life.
YOU WILL NEED:
3 cheeses (when I’m feeling fancy I go for Edam, Gouda, and a spicy cheddar. I prefer slices because who can be bothered to grate? But, this is your cheesy fantasy, pick whatever you want, it’s easy to make good decisions when there are no bad options). Warburtons toastie thick white bread (fine, go brown and seeded if you really want to) • Butter (a fair bit) • Cherry Tomatoes (chopped in half) • Dijon Mustard (negotiable) • Worcestershire sauce (non-negotiable) • Black or mixed pepper • A grill pan (ideally) • A toaster • A musical device (to play the soundtrack to ‘Chef’)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Get two (or four if you’re feeling a double-down) slices of bread and pop those babies in the toaster. A light toasting is required to prepare for the main grilling event.
After the light toasting, butter one side of each bread and add a cheeky layer of mustard on each side.
Apply a slice (or two) of one cheese on one piece of bread, and a slice (or two) of a different cheese on the other piece of bread (variety is the spice of life).
Take your halved cherry toms and layer them on top of one slice of bread. Toms on both sides of the bread is simply too much, we’re not building a tower here and we want the toms to grill too. I said have fun with it, I didn’t say be reckless. Also, keep a couple of centimetres free around the side of the bread, we don’t want them slipping out at the vital grilling point.
Add some pepper onto each slice and on top of the toms (as peppery as you feel that day) Add a slice (or two) of the third variety of cheese on top of the non-cherry tom’d slice of bread and drizzle some of the Worcestershire sauce on both slices of bread (you make the call there, I personally know no bounds when it comes to Worcestershire sauce).
Delicately put the two slices of lightly toasted bread together and give 'em a light squish down.
Butter the outside of each size of the sandwich (you didn’t think I was a rookie in this did you?)
Add a more than reasonable sized dollop of butter to the grilled pan, set at a medium heat, and wait for the butter to bubble.
Add your grilled cheese to the pan.
Here’s where it gets serious! We only want to turn the bread once, there’s been many trial and errors and the sandwich undoubtedly glues together and tastes most scrumptious when it’s not fighting to fall apart. If it looks like the outside is going to burn, turn your hob down to a low heat and wait it out. It’s usually just under 5 minutes each side for me, and I know that can feel like a while but this is where the chef soundtrack really comes in to help you out. Besides, ‘trees that are slow to grow to bear the best fruit’ and all that.
Elegantly flip your grilled cheese over with a spatula and repeat on the other side. When the cheese is starting to seep from the sides of the butty. You’re good to go. Add to a plate, eat, dance, be merry, get cheesy. Voilà!
