Chefs Jack Croft and Will Murray, creators of London restaurants Fallow, Roe and FOWL, have revealed the recipe for what they call the "ultimate" grilled cheese sandwich. The key difference from a standard toastie is the inclusion of mayonnaise and a homemade bechamel cheese sauce.
Research and ingredients
Will Murray tested "some of the world's most iconic grilled cheese sandwiches" from London to Paris before developing his own technique. The recipe uses a large white tin loaf, clarified butter, flour, butter, whole milk, Red Leicester cheese, Gruyere, and 30g of mayonnaise for extra depth.
Preparation method
Murray begins by removing the crusts from a white loaf and cutting it lengthways into half-inch thick slices. He bakes the slices at 160°C for 10 minutes until just crisp. Meanwhile, he makes a bechamel sauce by melting butter and flour over medium heat, whisking for one minute to create a golden roux. He slowly whisks in milk, allows it to thicken, then removes from heat and adds grated Red Leicester cheese, whisking until smooth. The sauce is seasoned with salt, chilled, then whisked again and folded with grated Gruyere.
Assembly and cooking
Murray spreads 50g of the bechamel mix on all but one slice of toasted bread, stacks them, and trims the edges. He portions the stack width-ways into four, brushes all sides with mayonnaise, then fries each portion in clarified butter until golden brown. Finally, he brushes them with more clarified butter and bakes in the oven for 10 minutes until the cheese starts to run out.
