LCBO Food & Drink Winter 2018

Many burger aficionados don’t fire up the grill when they need an all-beef fix. Instead, they throw a pan on the stove and start smashing. Smash burgers are made by flattening a ball of ground beef on a searing hot griddle, creating a juicy patty with a deep brown crust. It’s the style at beloved chains such as In-N-Out Burger and Shake Shack in the U.S., as well as The Burger’s Priest here in Ontario. Smash burgers are easy enough to make at home. All you need is a cast-iron pan, a sturdy metal spatula, and our recipe for Smash Burgers with Cheese, Pickles and Special Sauce (recipe on page 85). smash HIT

SAY CHEESE

Grilled cheese is technically griddled cheese. Here are tips on getting the crispest, gooiest results. Choose bread with a light crumb and no holes —i.e. avoid rustic sourdough, as it will leak cheese and end up too tough. You need a moist cheese that melts easily. Mozzarella, young cheddar and Gruyère are excellent, as are brie and Swiss. Butter the bread right to the edges before cooking for an even crust with no dry spots. Cook it on a medium-low to medium heat so the outside isn’t fully browned before the cheese has melted. Don’t be afraid to mix it up. Some people swear by mayo instead of butter, which adds a tangy flavour. Grated Parmesan on the outside yields a crunchy, umami-packed exterior.

Cooking on a griddle is popular in Spain, where it is called a plancha . But instead of messy diner food, Spaniards favour griddling seasonal ingredients without much adornment. Seafood does well on the plancha, be it quick-cooking items such as fish fillets, shrimp and squid, or thicker seafood that can be enjoyed un- derdone including tuna steaks and scallops. Thin steaks, pork chops and chicken cutlets are also terrific cooked on a plancha, as is asparagus and sliced vegetables. It’s easy enough to cook foods a la plancha at home. Coat the food with vegetable oil and salt, and sear in a seasoned cast iron skillet or heavy-duty nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Give it a whirl with our Shrimp a la Plancha with Smoked Paprika Vinaigrette (recipe on page 85). A LA PLANCHA

FOOD & DRI NK WINTER