Go to a pub in London and you'll probably find cheese toast on the menu. If you're craving an American-style grilled cheese sandwich, imagine cheese toast instead: melted or grilled cheese on a slice of buttered toast.
Cheese toast has been a British staple for centuries. In fact, in the 18th century, Jane Austen, the beloved author of my favorite book (Pride and Prejudice(of course), I loved her cheese toast. However, Austen's cheese toast contains two surprising ingredients: egg and mustard.
Jane Austen's Favorite Meal and Snack
Martha Lloyd, who lived with Austen for years, recorded a recipe in her cookbook detailing one of Austen's favorite dishes: “Grate the cheese and add an egg, a teaspoonful of mustard and a little butter… Send the whole on toast or in paper trays…”
With this “recipe” in hand, I knew I had to recreate Austen’s favorite cheese sandwich at home. As I prepared it for my husband and I for lunch, I imagined it was the dish Elizabeth Bennet would have her servants prepare for Mr. Darcy as a snack.
Once out of my toaster, Austen's cheese toasts were exquisite. A melting, cheesy custard filling swayed lightly on two slices of buttered toast. Thanks to the mustard, the cheese had a particularly savoury and beautifully matured taste.
With every bite, the melty, creamy, savory cheese mingled with traces of runny egg yolk. This intense creaminess was paired with crispy, crunchy, buttery toast. (Maybe I should channel my inner Austen and go back to writing romantic comedies instead of talking about food!) My husband loved the cheese toast and wanted a second helping, as did I. So I made another batch and turned the cheese toasts into grilled cheese sandwiches.
Simple Recipes / Kat Lieu
How to Make My Version of Jane Austen's Cheese Toast
To make Austen's favorite cheese toast, first butter both sides of two slices of bread. As for the type of bread to use, my go-to is sourdough, but use your favorite bread. Crack a large egg into a medium bowl.
Add a teaspoon of mustard (I used Gray Poupon Dijon, although in hindsight, honey mustard would have been even better), a teaspoon of softened unsalted butter, and a heaping half-cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Season with a little salt and pepper and stir until well combined. Then, spread the mixture evenly over both slices of bread.
Using an air fryer, toaster oven, or oven, toast the bread until the cheese melts and the mixture becomes creamy, like a soft omelet, and the bread is crispy, in just a few minutes. I didn't want to overcook the egg in the cheese mixture, as I have a thing for runny yolks. You can also fry or toast the toast in a buttered skillet or frying pan. Just be sure to cover the skillet or frying pan with a lid to help the cheese melt.
I made two versions of Austen's favorite cheese sandwich. I topped the one I made in the skillet with another slice of buttered toast to make a grilled cheese sandwich. The other one I left open-faced. The open-faced grilled cheese sandwich is a great quick snack, and the grilled cheese sandwich works best as a full meal.
Simple Recipes / Kat Lieu
Tips to Make Jane Austen's Cheese Toast Even Better
I tried Austen's cheese toast and sprinkled it with a pinch of paprika and furikake. If you don't have furikake, you can sprinkle chopped chives or green onions over the cream cheese.
If you like spicy food, you can top the cheese toast with chopped kimchi. The kimchi will give the toast a little spicy and crunchy taste. You can also drizzle some warm honey on the cheese toast to give it a little spiciness and a balanced sweetness.
Given Austen's fine taste in cooking, had she lived longer than her short 41 years on this earth, perhaps we'd also have some of the author's classic cookbooks to cook from while revisiting them. Emma and the 1995 BBC version Pride and Prejudice endlessly.
