I have been doing a little writing today on Shadows and Stars. I was a little hungry at a good stopping point, so I made a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches, which I normally make by laying a couple of cheese slices on a bread slice, adding a layer of sliced jalapenos, and then another slice of cheese and a slice of bread. Then I grill these in lots of butter instead of putting butter directly on the bread. This way the butter is more evenly distributed across the bread.
I had a few slices of jalapeno left over. So, I thought I would try grilling them alone in lots of butter. They were good. Long story short, after a little experimenting I came up with the following recipe.
Put a skillet on about medium to medium-high heat.
Slice one or more jalapenos cross ways and thin, about 1/8 inch.
Melt about a tablespoon or more of butter in the skillet.
Dump in the sliced jalapenos.
Add some garlic salt and grated Parmesan, but not a lot of either.
Toss the slices occasionally with a spatula.
Use the spatula to collect the butter that has spread around the pan and mix it constantly with the jalapenos.
When the edges of the jalapeno slices turn black (more or less) and the Parmesan has turned dark brown, the slices are done.
This whole process takes about five minutes.
You will probably want to eat these one at a time for two reasons. First, so they won’t be overpowering. Second, eating them individually will help you savor them more and appreciate the subtleties of the flavors.
I recommend drinking milk or something light, like Earl Grey tea, with them. I think the salt takes out some of the spiciness, so milk isn’t necessary to quench the fire, but it does some help to bring out the flavors. The same is true of the tea, both of which I was drinking today with them.
Let me know what you think.
Hasta luego.
Phil Slattery, Writer, Publisher 