From the blog For Love of the Table
4 T. (or more, as needed) soft butter, divided
1 large shallot (about 2 oz.), trimmed, halved and thinly sliced (to make 1/2 cup)
1/2 t. roughly chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 small to medium flavorful apple (Braeburn, Pink Lady, Jonathan, etc.), peeled, cored and thinly (1/8-inch) sliced)
1 1/2 to 2 t. sugar
4 1/2-inch thick 4- by 6-inch slices (or 6 1/2-inch thick 4- by 4-inch slices) of sourdough or other favorite bread (see note)
Dijon mustard
4 to 6 oz. coarsely grated cheese—I like a mix of Gruyère and sharp white Cheddar
2 thin slices (a scant 1/2 oz. each) prosciutto, trimmed of excess fat and torn into large bite-sized pieces
In a large steel, cast iron or other style of non-stick skillet, melt a tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat. When the foam subsides, add the shallot and thyme with a pinch of salt and sauté until tender and golden—about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove to a plate. Add another tablespoon of butter to the pan. When melted, add the apples and sauté until limp—but still with a bit of texture—and caramelized in spots—about 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the apples and continue to cook and toss/stir until the sugar has melted and the apples are uniformly golden—another minute. Scrape the apples onto the plate with the shallots and toss to combine. Let cool.
To build the sandwiches, arrange the slices of bread in pairs on your work surface. Smear all of the slices with a scant amount of Dijon. Divide a third of the cheese among half of the slices. Arrange the prosciutto evenly over the cheese. Top with another third of the cheese. Evenly arrange the apple-shallot mixture on top of the second layer of cheese. Finish with a final layer of cheese. Top each with a slice of bread (Dijon-side down). Smear the tops of the sandwiches with half of the remaining butter (making sure to spread the butter all the way out to the edges).
Heat a steel, cast iron or other non-stick skillet over medium to medium-high heat. When hot, add the sandwiches buttered side down to the pan. There should be a faint, but audible, sizzle when the sandwich hits the pan, if not, increase the heat slightly. Slide the sandwich back and forth to spread the butter out as it melts. Move and rotate the sandwiches and the pan over the heat as necessary to obtain a uniformly golden and crispy slice of fried bread. While the first side cooks, smear the remaining butter on the slice of bread that is facing you. When the first side is golden and crisp—after 2 or 3 minutes, carefully flip the sandwiches over and continue to cook as for the first side...another 2 to 3 minutes. If at any time the pan seems dry, add more butter in small increments.
When finished, the bread on both sides should be uniformly browned and crisp and the cheese should be just melted. If the heat is too low, the cheese will be drippy and gooey before the bread is done and if the heat is too high, the cheese will not have a chance to melt. The goal is crisp, golden bread and soft—not liquid—cheese.
Cut the sandwiches in halves or quarters. Recipe makes 2 large or 3 medium-sized sandwiches....serving 2 to 4 people, depending on appetites.
Note: Choose any bread you prefer. Because Farm-to-Market is the bread that is most available for me, that is what I use. Their sliced loaf-style sourdough makes an excellent sandwich, as do their Rosemary Olive Oil and Semolina rounds.
http://www.forloveofthetable.com/2014/09/grilled-cheese-with-caramelized-apples.html
As published on forloveofthetable.com
Unless otherwise noted, all content and photos © 2010-2014 Paige Vandegrift, All Rights Reserved