Patty Melt

Melt. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a 30 cm heavy-bottomed skillet over a mid-sized flame till foaming. Tip in 2 slices bread and swirl round pan using hand or spatula. Cook, swirling now and then till pale golden brown, around 3 minutes. Move to cutting board cooked-side up. Share American cheese uniformly between slices, layering them in the middle and leaving a 5–6 mm gap around the edges. Repeat step 1 with leftover bread slices plus Swiss cheese. Season hamburger patties upon both sides using salt plus pepper. Return skillet to heat to high plus melt butter in skillet (1 tablespoon) till light brown. Swirl to coat bottom of skillet plus tip in both burger patties. Heat without moving till dark brown crust forms on first side, around 1 1/2 minutes, reducing heat to mid-sized if butter begins in order to burn or smoke excessively. Flip burgers using spatula plus heat on second side without moving till crust develops, 1 1/2 minutes longer. Move burger patties to plate and reduce heat to mid-sized. Add onions, butter (1 tablespoon), and water to skillet (2 tablespoons). Add salt and pepper till it tastes right. Cook, mixing the whole time and scraping up browned bits from bottom of skillet till water evaporates and onions start to fry plus leave brown residue on bottom of pan. Add another water and (2 tablespoons) carry on cooking. Repeat 2 more times till water is used up plus onions are soft and deep golden brown. Tip in collected juices from meat plate to onions and carry on cooking for 30 seconds. Onions should be moist, yet not dripping. Share onion mixture uniformly between cheese-topped toast slices. Tip in burger patties to slices using American cheese and close sandwiches. Add butter to skillet (1 tablespoon). Return to mid-sized heat and cook till butter melts. Scatter using salt. Swirl to coat pan plus tip in sandwiches. Heat, swirling sandwiches around pan often till deep golden brown on bottom, around 5 minutes. Remove sandwiches from skillet, melt leftover tablespoon butter in pan and scatter with salt. Return sandwiches to skillet and heat, swirling often till second side is amber brown and cheese is melted. Eat at once.