Cheese on Toast

There’s a secret ingredient (and a blowtorch) involved.

I love good cheese on toast. The trick is to get a nice, thin, lightly burned top while keeping the bulk of the cheese good and gooey. The skin gives it taste, the goop texture and follow through.

Tonight I saw a trailer for a cooking show where the chef caramelized the top of a creme brulée with a blowtorch. I couldn’t resist.

Lightly toast some bread. Add a really, really thin spread of marmalade (optional, but try it…). Top with grated cheese and apply the MAPP torch. You’d be surprised just how close you have to hold it to get the cheese to brown—I started waving it vaguely in the direction of the bread, but ended up playing the flame directly over it.

The result was gorgeous.