How to choose grilled cheese
The chef of the restaurant “Voronezh” Sergey Volkonenkov believes that soft and young cheeses are not suitable for frying.
“The most suitable cheese for frying is halloumi, other cheeses melt and do not keep their shape,” said Sergey Volkonenkov.
Eduard Yastrebov, the founder of Yastrebov and the Brat cheese factory, adds that hard cheeses should not be used.
“Trying to melt hard cheese is a bad idea because when cooled they taste very unusual and don’t always have a nice consistency. But there is one exception – for example, parmesan, cheddar or grana padano crumbs are perfect for tomatoes, pasta or hot dishes because of their firm texture. ”says Eduard Yastrebov.
Also, according to him, you need to treat cheese with mold with special care. For example, gorgonzola after heating can only spoil its taste.
“Great alternatives for baked recipes are white mold cheeses like Camembert and Brie. If you are going to buy a camember, put it in a ceramic bowl with rims so that it does not spill out and try to bake it in the oven”,
– advised the founder of the “Yastrebov and Brat” cheese factory.
But even when choosing halloumi, difficulties can arise. Nikita Churyumov, head of the Food Embassy of the Julia Vysotskaya restaurant, recommends paying special attention to the composition of the cheese.
“You can find many halloumi analogues on the shelves now. Therefore, when choosing this cheese, you should pay attention to its composition. It should contain only dairy products of animal origin and not herbal supplements,” explained Nikita Churyumov.
Ideal additions to grilled cheese
Eduard Yastrebov, founder of the Yastrebov and Brat cheese factory, emphasizes that halloumi is traditionally eaten with cooked vegetables (tomatoes and peppers) and a drop of balsamic.
A more experimental version is offered by the chef of the Pythagoras restaurant, Pavel Shvetsov.
“Haloumi goes great with honey, fruit sauce or fresh tomato salad. To give the cheese a special tangy, we serve it with fresh truffles,” says the chef.
And the chef of the Food Embassy of the Julia Vysotskaya restaurant Nikita Churyumov recommends trying it with fresh herbs, and for dessert – with fresh watermelon.
While grilled halloumi is hot, dry and preferably fresh herbs – thyme and thyme can be sprinkled on it. Top it with a sweet tomato salad and sprinkle everything with fresh mint. “Halumi is a very versatile cheese and with the right flavor combinations it’s perfect for grilled vegetables and fresh watermelon.”
Light fruit cocktails and wine will accompany the cheese on the grill. Aleksey Ivashchenko, head bartender of the Mouflon restaurant, offers to complement the Rossini appetizer or the Clover Club cocktail.
“To make a fruit cocktail, you’ll need gin, dry vermouth, raspberry puree, lemon, and protein. And for Rossini – strawberry puree and sparkling wine, ”the expert concluded.
Of course, you should not forget that cocktails and wine are not the main course, but an accompaniment, so no one advises you to abuse them.
Recipes from chefs
Mouflon restaurant chef Narek Sargsyan offers to grill suluguni. For cooking, you will need 150 g of cheese, one chicken egg, 50 g of flour and breadcrumbs.
“The suluguni should be cut into 4 cm by 4 cm square pieces, then beat the chicken egg and dip the cheese pieces into the egg, then the flour, then the egg again, and then the breadcrumbs. Fry the bread on low heat until golden brown, this is enough for the cheese to melt inside and acquire a viscous consistency. For such a hot cheese appetizer, a sauce made from sweet and sour fruits, such as cranberry, is quite suitable,” Narek Sarkisyan concluded.
Yaroslav Inshakov, chef of SEPTA bar, believes halloumi bruschetta would be the perfect appetizer for an out-of-town dinner. For its preparation you will need sourdough buckwheat bread, guacamole, cilantro and salmon.
“For the sauce, combine all the ingredients in a mixer bowl and blend until smooth. Grill buckwheat bread with halloumi cheese. Spread guacamole on toast and cut in half. Put a piece of coriander on it, put thin slices of salmon. Cut the fried halloumi into cubes and spread randomly over the entire surface of the bruschetta. When serving, put the second part of coriander on top and pour honey-lime sauce over it, ”said Yaroslav Inshakov.