There is the everyday, run of the mill yet intensely comforting grilled cheese sandwich and then there is the slightly more elevated version consisting of miso caramelized onions added to your favorite grilled cheese sandwich. This is an excellent frivolous midnight snack as well as a nice quick lunch for a friend, served with a tossed green salad and a glass of chilled white wine.
2 slices of your favorite bread (I used sourdough)
1 serving of your favorite hard cheese, grated or very thinly sliced (I used a really nice aged Cheddar, but a Gouda would work well, as would Fontina or Muenster. Also, I believe that portions of cheese in grilled cheese sandwiches are subjective.)
1 Tbsp + 1 Tbsp butter
1 small white onion, peeled, halved and sliced into thin half moons
2 tsps white miso
1 tsp dry white wine
Generous splash of olive oil
Put the olive oil, one tablespoon of the butter and the sliced onions into a large skillet over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and softening. At this point, stir in the white wine and cook an additional five to ten minutes until the onions are golden brown, caramelized and sticky.
Decant the onions into a bowl and stir in the miso.
Assemble your sandwich - slice of bread, half the grated cheese, the onions, the remaining cheese, the other slice of bread.
Using the same pan, melt half of the remaining tablespoon of butter over low until it is frothing. Place the sandwich in the pan and cook until the cheese is starting to melt and the bottom piece of bread is golden brown -- over low heat, this will take about four to five minutes.
Flip the sandwich and add the remaining butter to the pan. Cook for an additional three to four minutes until the cheese is completely melted and starting to ooze out of the sandwich.
Remove the sandwich to a plate and let cool for the few minutes it will take for you to pour a glass of wine and dress a salad.