Our Gilled Brie, Bacon and Dark Chocolate Sandwich

I know what you’re thinking. I’ve actually just lost the plot. I’ve basically had some sort of culinary breakdown and I just happened to be caught between my fridge and my keyboard. But I’m here to tell you that if you have not yet encountered the magical combination of cheese and chocolate – and here I really do mean proper cheese, not just mild-mannered cream cheese that you might pick up for a certain biscuit based dessert – then for what you are about to read, you are most assuredly welcome.

In fact, the combination of cheese and chocolate is not actually as unusual as it first appears, at least to most British eyes. Culturecheesemag.com report that dropping a piece of cheese into the bottom of your hot chocolate to melt is actually a fairly standard practice in everyday Colombian gastronomy. Foreignfork.com cite that if anything, as the cheese softens to an oozy consistency at the bottom of the cup, it actually helps to enhance the creaminess of the hot chocolate itself, whilst lending a little salty boost too. Cheesegrotto.com takes more of scientific look at typical cheese and chocolate pairings, arguing that the production process of both chocolate and cheese share certain similarities, in that they’re both fermented which, because of the yeasts and bacteria involved; help both to produce acetic and lactic acid which contribute to each developing their distinctive flavours. Cheesegrotto.com also say that there’s scientific evidence that both chocolate and cheese help to positively influence our brain chemistry, boosting our moods and helping to combat stress – so if anything, with the addition of sour dough (which wouldn’t exist without the process of fermentation of course) this sandwich should bring a smile to most people’s faces. But for those looking for a vegetarian equivalent, the addition of rocket, crispy kale or avocado in place of the bacon would do wonders.

There’s even advice to be found online as to which cocoa content chocolate pairs well with which kinds of cheese and how, whether because the flavour profiles sync (so the nutty or bitter notes of the chocolate matches the nutty or bitter notes of the cheese) or because these flavour profiles directly offset one another, so the creaminess of a chocolate bar might help to combat the bitterness or metallic notes of a cheese and vice versa.  This can of course mean that chocolate and cheese pairings aren’t just the remit of dark chocolate specifically, milk can even play a role here – possibly even white in some circumstances, albeit typically most articles seem to suggest that a minimum of 50% cocoa content chocolate is best, ruling out entirely off the shelf compound chocolate and candy from the really big brand names and manufacturers.

This sandwich is a bit of a splurge then, but if you’re up for trying something a little different that you almost certainly won’t find in most cafes, supermarkets or restaurants across the U.K, I highly recommend that you give it a try. I decided to use the extra creamy Brie from Castello, smoked back bacon, sour dough bread and Love Cocoa’s Avocado 71% dark chocolate bar. The chocolate is so rich and slightly astringent against the creamy, earthy notes of the Brie which nevertheless bears up extraordinarily well against that and the smoky, salty bacon that along with the toasted sour dough bread, adds lots of texture and bite to what would be otherwise a slightly squishy affair. The impact of flavour for this sandwich is huge and I also think that other good pairings to go with the velvety Brie would be the Montezuma’s Black Forest Cherry Bar which, which whilst just as intense, of course would lend a more stone fruit flavour, perhaps with a nice fruity chutney instead of (or, let’s face it) as well as the bacon.  You can of course also play around with the cheese and use a stronger, blue veined variety that would pair brilliantly with Coco Chocolatier’s Haggis Spice if you were hankering for a sandwich with a more Gaelic character. Happily as with any sandwich, the possibilities here are pretty much endless, depending upon whatever happens to be knocking around your kitchen cupboards or whatever tickles your pickle at the time.

     Needless to say, whatever the outcome; this sandwich will break hearts – not just that of your usual lunchtime staple that will be left forgotten, forlornly sat on a refrigerator shelf, but also maybe to some extent at least your own. This offering definitely leans toward the artery clogging kind of meal but I’m hopeful that your taste buds at least will thank me for it, even if you do feel the need to engage in a bit of gentle exercise afterwards. Anyway, here’s the recipe!

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15 – 20 minutes
Serves: 1
Ingredients:

1 teaspoon olive oil
3 slices of smoked back bacon (streaky is fine too of course)
2 slices of sour dough bread, thickly sliced (obviously)
25g butter, at room temperature
30g Love Cocoa Avocado 71% dark chocolate, grated
80g Castello Extra Creamy Brie, sliced
Method:
1    First of all, you’ll need to cook your bacon – I fried mine in a little olive oil for a few minutes a side over a medium heat until crispy, although of course 4-5 minutes a side under a medium-hot grill will also suffice.
2.     Once cooked, drain it off on a little kitchen roll and set it aside.
3.     Spread the room temperature butter on the outside of the two slices of bread, not on the inside where the filling is going to be, as you don’t want the outside to stick to your griddle pan or toastie maker.
4.      Split the grated chocolate between the two slices of bread, butter side down; then top one slice with the brie and the other with the cooked bacon.
5.      Bring the slices together and cook over a medium heat in a dry griddle pan or in a toasty maker, for a few minutes on each side until the bread is golden, toasted and undulating from the bars.
6.      Finally, plate up and enjoy!