This recipe probably doesn’t require a full post on it, you will be thinking right now, with raised eyebrows – but hear me out. There are so many different ways to make a ham and cheese! You can never really get bored of it. Lately, I’ve started to notice a pattern in the type of recipes I am deciding to write about, all of them are quite flexible and there is no one correct way of making them. Most are “open to interpretation” and there are as many versions of those meals as people on the planet. No rules, basically! Which is pretty cool. This makes me realise that free style is how I like cooking – which also reminds of how little I bake and how much I have to learn (note to self).

There are also numerous names and origin stories for how it came to be. In Spain we call it ¨sandwich mixto”, and in Cataluña we call it “bikini”, here is why if you are interested. With this kind of simple and delicious foods it is difficult to point out where it all began, it seems though that the US is attributed the creation of this delicious invention. However, as always, it really depends on what lense you decide to view things through, here is another version of the story. But of course if you are French, there is a version for you too, monsieur or madam!

However, we all probably agree on something: it doesn´t matter who invented it or what its true name is – it is one hell of a sandwich.

To the point… It’s a polemic sandwich and it is also in my Top 5 Cravings list. So it actually does deserve a post of itself.

Enjoy!

PS. The best bikini I have ever eaten in my life is served at the Pompeu Fabra University cafeteria, building Roger de Llúria.

RECIPE

Typically I love the common bikini: cooked ham (York, jamón dulce… you know) and any soft gooey easy-to-melt cheese in white  toast bread (Edam, Havarti, Mozarella). This time though I went for a very Spanish version as I’m finding myself missing home a little these days… 🙂

Ingredients

• 2 slices of bread (Silueta cereales)
• Ham, in this case I used Ibérico ham
• Cheese, I went for Manchego semi-curado
• Olive oil or butter

Optional: black pepper, dried oregano or sage

Instructions

1. Heat up pan or oven at 180º (I decided to go for the oven today)
2. Bread – Ham – Cheese – (optional spice/dried herb) – Bread
3. Brush oil/butter on both sides of the bread.
4. Cook in preferred methds until cheese is melted.