Grilled Cheese

TL; DR

Two slices of locally-made sourdough bread (by the Crooked Pickle Co.) that loosely encapsulate a secret blend of three cheeses, that are grilled on a flat-top till crisp on the exterior, and gooey in the centre.

Served with a side of delicious side of Bread & Butter pickles (by the Crooked Pickle Co.)

Classic, unfussy, and does what it says on the tin!

🤤😌👍

THE LONG

First a little prayer to thank that person that first applied heat to cheese back in the day, amen!

Anyway, a quick note, the grilled cheese at Society requires a little patience; so hold tight, and you shall be rewarded with the cheesy equivalent of two marshmallows*1!

First things first, I place an order for a grilled cheese, and then I usually order a flat white to help sate my growling stomach, and to whittle away the interlude before taking that first euphoric bite.

They also serve tea, but if you prefer something alcoholic then there’s a great selection of local beers (bottled, canned, and on-tap), wines, and cocktails too if you’re feeling fancy.

If you’re looking to capture the moment on an camera like a Canon M50, then I’d suggest either of the two little tables in the raised seating area by the front window or anywhere upstairs, as there’s a few more windows and the light is usually soft… but if you have an ISO invariant camera, or the latest flagship phone, then you practically sit anywhere you like!

After deciding where to perch myself, I settle in to a book (if I’m feeling mentally lacklustre), or I do a little more writing, or more often than not, like today, I usually try to clear my inbox; while slowly sipping on my coffee.

Meanwhile in the kitchen, the process of turning a secret blend of grated cheese sandwiched between two slices of sourdough bloomer (by Crooked Pickle Co.) into the fabled grilled cheese that we all need in our life, begins.

As one side of this “sandwich” hits the grill, the heat seeps through the exterior surface and rises through the tunnels of open crumb structure, and as the temperature rises, the once firm grated strands of cheese begin to soften up, and slowly blend into a delicious marbled goo.

As the yellow and orange glacier melts and turns into an edible landslide, gravity begins to pull it through the porous structure of the bread until the molten curd hits the hot metal surface of the grill yielding a delicious audible sizzle.

If you’ve ever made one at home then you know this bubbling mess is a great thing to behold!

As the aged-fat weeps from the milky mass under the constant heat, the dry structure of the bread begins to soak it up and helps to add another subtle dimension of cheese flavour, as well as create a hotter thermal environment to accelerate the Maillard reaction. This is the bit where the remaining amino acids and sugars begin to caramelise, and leave those super-savoury, moreish crispy cheesy bits.

On occasions, if you’re sat close enough, you can smell it progressing as the gentlest breeze wafts the volatile aromatic compounds from the kitchen into the downstairs space, which can be a pleasant distraction from the monotony of scanning through the same old emails.

Then all of a sudden, a beautiful grey plate with this hot, golden-brown wodge, and it’s tangy green sidekick, appears in front of me, ready to be eaten.

From a young age, the dill pickle tucked away in the McDonalds Cheeseburger would strike fear in to my pre-adolescent palette; that “awful” sourness, that subtle dill twang, and the firm crisp texture of the slithers of fermented cucumber. Just no.

It’s something I never appreciated as a child, the intentional way pickled, fermented, or sour foods in general help to add balance to dishes. The acidic nature, like a crisp, dry white wine help to cleanse the grease from the palette, allowing you to enjoy what you’re eating a little longer, and reduce flavour fatigue from rich foods.

I tend to eat to fuel my myself, but when I eat for pleasure I like to bask in the moment.

There’s a slight change in the environment around me, as I gain a laser-like focus, and the sounds slightly fade, as I raise the first half and take a bite. I hear the crisp exterior crunching under my teeth, and then there’s the slight chew of a slow-proofed starch structure, before I experience the delicious viscous texture of that unami-packed flavour, flood my palette.

Then I chase with tangy slices of pickled cucumber, with their tasty flavour profile that hits those sweet, sour, and hints of coriander and turmeric notes, which provide the perfect foil to the grilled cheese.

If you’re wondering, they’re the Bread & Butter Pickles by the Crooked Pickle Co. Also available to buy from Society too.

Eventually, all that’s left is a grey plate with the slight smear of cheesy grease, and few drops of pickling liquid.

SOCIETY COFFEE SHOP & BAR

8 Stephenson Place,

Chesterfield.

S40 1XL.

FACEBOOK - @societycoffeechesterfield

INSTAGRAM - @societycoffeechesterfield

CROOKED PICKLE CO.

WEBSITE - https://crookedpickle.co

FACEBOOK - @crookedpickleco

INSTAGRAM - @crookedpickleco