Grilled Cheese Sandwich With Duck Fat French Fries

Grilled Cheese_sm2 russet potatoes
4 cups rendered duck fat
4 shallots thinly sliced
1 tbs olive oil
5 tbs butter, divided
Pinch of kosher salt
1 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
8 slices Nueske’s thick cut bacon
1 tbs Wisconsin maple syrup
4 slices of round sourdough bread cut in half
Sea salt to taste
2 tbs grated Wisconsin parmesan cheese
1 cup baby kale, arugula or watercress
1 tbs lemon juice
16-20 slices Carr Valley Creama Kasa cheese
20-24 Wisconsin cheese curds
1 cup grated Wisconsin Gouda

Preheat oven to 350F

1.  Heat duck fat in a high sided saucepan to 300F.  Roughly peel potatoes and cut in half.  Run potatoes through curly fry cutter or cut thin with a mandoline.  Submerge in cold water, rinsing once or twice to get rid of the starch.

2.  Heat olive oil and 1 tbs butter in small skillet over medium low heat, add shallots and kosher salt.  Cook over low heat until shallots start to turn golden.  Add brown sugar and cook down until soft and caramelized, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and stir in balsamic vinegar.

3.  Roast bacon on a baking rack over a sheet tray for 15 minutes.  Drizzle maple syrup on each slice and roast for an additional 5 minutes.  Preheat broiler.

4.  Drain and thoroughly dry potatoes.  Add potatoes to fat in small batches and fry until they start to turn opaque and crisp up.  Drain on paper towel.  Reheat duck fat to 375 and return potatoes to pan frying in small batches until golden and crispy.  Drain on paper towel and sprinkle with sea salt and grated parmesan.

5.  Butter one side of bread slices with ½ tbs butter each and toast under broiler.

6.  Place watercress in a bowl and drizzle with lemon juice, toss to coat.

7.  Turn toast over and top each of four slices with 2-3 slices of Creama Kasa, 5-6 cheese curds and ¼ cup grated Gouda. Top the remaining four toasts with 2 slices of Creama Kasa.  Broil toast until cheese is melted.  Remove from broiler and top each of four toast slices with caramelized onions, ¼ cup watercress, 2 bacon strips and French fries. Top with remaining toast and serve.

Serves 4, calories:  Ha!  You don’t want to know!