Tomato Bisque and Cowgirl Creamery Baked Cheese Sandwich - Tap Gastropub, Atlanta GA - Chef Todd Ginsberg

Tomato Bisque and Cowgirl Creamery Baked Cheese Sandwich
Chef Todd Ginsberg, Tap Gastropub, Atlanta, Georgia
(serves 4)



Combine a tart, sweet, creamy tomato bisque with a warm, yeasty grilled cheese sandwich dripping with a blend of cheeses, and you have much more than lunch!

For this dish, you will need:

4ea ciabatta breads (sandwich sized)
20 oz cheese mixture
1qt tomato bisque
12 ea basil leaves

Cheese mixture

7oz Grated mezzo secco cheese
7oz Grated gruyere cheese
7oz Formage blanc

Method

Mix the grated cheese together and set aside until you are ready to grill your sandwiches.

Tomato Bisque

1/2 Large Onion cut into wide slices
2 ea. Garlic Cloves
2 lbs. Tomatoes (canned)
1 lb. Tomatoes (fresh)
1/4 C. Tomato Paste
1 C. Red Wine
3 C. Water
1 C. Cream
Oil and Butter as needed
Basil, Thyme, 1 bay leaf, firmly tied together or wrapped and tied in cheesecloth

Method

Over a medium heat with just a bit of oil or butter, caramelize onion and garlic cloves. add tomato paste and warm until the paste is smooth and shiney. Add wine and reduce by ½ the amount, then add all tomatoes and water. Toss in your bouquet garni (the basil, thyme and bay leaf tied together or wrapped in cheesecloth.) This herb bundle will be removed before serving and you do not want “piece” floating in your soup.

Cook down until thick and then add cream. On a medium heat, do not let boil, heat for another fifteen minutes until smooth.

Take out herbs and finish in blender until very smooth.

Dish Assembly;

Slice bread lengthwise in half and place about 5 oz of the cheese mixture in side. Bake with out top on a preheated oven at 400oF for about three minutes.

Place two large basil leaves per sandwich and place the lid on top. Continue baking for about three more minutes or until cheese is soft all the way through.

Cut in half and serve with tomato bisque. Garnish soup with fried basil leaf (basil leaf quickly fried in hot olive oil until crisp - optional)