Shelly's Recipe

Grilled Garlic Parsley Cheese Bread

Category: Bread

1 loaf French bread (20 to 24 inches long)
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) salted butter, at room temperature
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1. Set up the grill for two-zone grilling, preheating one zone to medium-high and one zone to medium-low.

2. Using a serrated knife, cut the bread sharply on the diagonal into ½ inch–thick slices. Or, cut the bread into fingers by first cutting it crosswise into 6-inch pieces, then lengthwise into quarters. Place the slices of bread in an aluminum foil drip pan or on a baking sheet to facilitate transporting them to the grill.

3. Place the butter in a medium-size mixing bowl and cream it using a whisk or wooden spoon. And the garlic, parsley, pepper, and Parmigiano-Reggiano and beat until the butter is light and fluffy. Using a spatula, spread the garlic butter on both sides of the slices of bread.

4. When ready to cook, place the buttered bread on the hot grate and grill until golden brown on both sides, 1 to 3 minutes per side. Don’t take your eyes off of the grill for a second as the bread will burn quickly. If it starts 14 to burn, use tongs to move the slices to a cooler area of the grill. Serve the grilled bread at once.

variations: You could use another kind of bread and substitute olive oil, walnut oil, or hazelnut oil for the butter, cilantro or basil for the parsley, and Gorgonzola or Roquefort for the Parmigiano-Reggiano. You could even add minced cooked bacon, pancetta, or prosciutto to the butter.