Recipes Grilled Cheese-and-Bacon Sandwiches with Cheese Curds 5.0 (3,091) 3 Reviews Cheese curds are small chunks of just-made cheese that haven't been pressed into a shape. They're milky and delicious in a grilled cheese sandwich like this one, which is spread with Joe Beef's signature "chicken glace mayo," made at the restaurant with chicken stock that Morin says has been "reduced to oblivion." He suggests substituting beef bouillon to replicate his uniquely savory mayonnaise. More Grilled Cheese Sandwiches By Frédéric Morin Frédéric Morin F&W Star Chef » See All F&W Chef Superstars The duo behind Montréal’s decadent Joe Beef, David McMillan and Frédéric Morin, are experts at satisfying crowds. Here, Frédéric’s best holiday entertaining tips (read David’s tips here). What are your favorite holiday food gifts? In general I tend to not offer food gifts or books about food, to clear myself a little from what we do every day. One key exception: Fine fruit spirits, like Poire Williams with a pear inside. A glass of chilled Poire Williams is perfect after a big holiday meal. I used to enjoy giving people knives, but I’ve become superstitious; they say knives should always be traded for money or they’ll cut friendship or family bonds. Of course, you can always lend the person $2 when you give them knife, and have them pay you the $2 back to “buy” it. I love copper pans. For David’s birthday I bought him the biggest sautoir Mauviel sells, a shallow copper pan about 2-feet wide, with a lid and a super thick cast-iron handle. I don’t think it even fits in an oven. Some might not consider it good form to give something used, but sometimes people have old Creuset pots and dishes lying around that they don’t use, and I think it’s wonderful to give them as gifts. An old orange Creuset with a little bit of flame on it—I almost prefer the old ones to the new. What’s your favorite holiday cocktail? Year-round I like cocktails that are pretty simple, like Campari and soda, or gin and tonic. Right now I love a cocktail with soda water, where the ice is big and cold and the soda water is so bubbly that it itches. Take a 2-ounce pour of Johnny Walker and a good splash of super bubbly water over cold, cold ice—ice that doesn’t melt and dilute the drink. When your drink sparkles till the end, and stays ice-cold, that, for me, is the perfect cocktail. Can you share some entertaining tips? Sometimes when you go to people’s houses and they want to impress you too much, it’s like watching a train crash. To host people properly, it shouldn’t be about how many courses you can make. You can easily serve a Creuset of something straight from the oven, like a braised whole veal shank, or a whole fat duck, or two deer necks nestled side by side with some parsnips and red wine. Make a perfect pommes puree and bring it all to the table. People are going to be more satisfied because they can eat in your company happy. To make the meal even easier, skip dessert: buy some super beautiful fruits, or poach some pears or prunes in wine the day before, and then go nuts on the cheese course: Something as simple as a little pot of some super mild fromage blanc with a pot of jam, or the stinkiest round of époisse you can find, and let people serve themselves. What’s your most requested recipe, the one dish you’re most known for? I would say our lobster spaghetti. Everywhere else in the world, unless you’re on the Maine coast, if you order lobster, you get a half tail on top of a risotto or something. At Joe Beef, you get a full lobster cut into chunks, tossed with spaghetti like a carbonara. And it’s made contrary to the contemporary rules of pasta cooking: We don’t cook the pasta à la minute, we don’t use any pasta cooking water in the sauce, but it’s still delicious. What’s your favorite cookbook of all time?Larousse Gastronomique, the second edition that was printed in France in 1984, then translated into English in 1988. It came out during a key transition period in French cooking, almost like the shift in shipping from sail power to steam. The classics are still in there along with more modern dishes by Robuchon and Loiseau. And unlike the very first edition, whose photographs weren’t that great, the second edition has some incredible pictures, like the dessert table at Maison Troisgros. What’s one technique everyone should know? How to season properly with more than just salt. If you look in our book, you’ll get the idea. Just like you bring your dancing shoes for a night of dancing, when you go to season your dish, you should be armed with a something to sweeten it, something to acidify it like vinegar or lemon juice, and something to warm it up, like white or black pepper or cayenne. Take mayonnaise: People who like French fries with mayonnaise could eat literally a cup of mayo. But if I were to put that much oil in a glass in front of you, you’d never be able to drink it. By emulsifying the oil into mayonnaise, then seasoning it with the acidity and sweetness of the lemon, the warmth of black pepper, mustard or cayenne, and then salt, all those seasonings together make a cup of oil palatable. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on April 12, 2019 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: © Fredrika Stjärne Total Time: 35 mins Yield: 4 Ingredients 1/2 beef bouillon cube (about 1 teaspoon) 1/4 cup mayonnaise 2 teaspoons Sriracha Salt and freshly ground pepper 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 medium onion, thinly sliced 2 teaspoons cider vinegar 12 slices of bacon 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 8 slices of white sandwich bread 1/2 pound sharp cheddar, cut into 4 slices 3 ounces cheddar cheese curds (1 cup); see Note Directions In a small bowl, mash the bouillon cube into 2 teaspoons of hot water until dissolved. Whisk in the mayonnaise and Sriracha and season with salt and pepper. In a medium skillet, heat the oil. Add the onion, cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, in another skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat, turning once, until crisp, 6 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Set a griddle over 2 burners and turn the heat to moderate. Butter the bread slices on 1 side. Spread the other side of 4 bread slices with the spicy mayonnaise and top with the onion, cheddar, cheese curds and bacon. Close the sandwiches buttered side out and griddle over moderately low heat until crisp, about 4 minutes per side. Cut the sandwiches in half and serve. Notes Cheese curds are available at specialty food shops and cheese shops. Suggested Pairing This sandwich is intensely rich with cheese, bacon and mayonnaise, calling for a full-bodied white with good acidity, like Chardonnay. Rate it Print