Toasty grilled Gruyere Swiss cheese sandwich with smoked salmon and Meyer lemon.
Many moons ago, my friend Dennis Kercher shared with me his favorite grilled cheese sandwich—one with smoked salmon, Gruyere, and lemon confit made with preserved lemons.
I finally managed to make this fabulous sandwich, but instead of using preserved lemons (most people don’t have any lying around), I boiled Meyer lemon slices in salted water.
Sandwich with smoked salmon and grilled Gruyère cheese
ingredients
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1/2 Meyer lemon, thinly sliced and pitted
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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8 slices of French bread
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4 ounces smoked salmon
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4 ounces Gruyere cheese, sliced or shredded
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1 tbsp chopped chives
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butter
method
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Boil lemon slices in salted water:
In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Add half a teaspoon of salt. When the salt has dissolved, add the lemon slices to the pan and lay them flat in the pan.
Let the water boil until it’s almost gone and only a thin syrup is left in the pan. Do not stir while cooking. Remove from stove.
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Heat a large cast iron skillet:
at medium heat. While the pan is heating, arrange the sandwiches (next step).
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Arrange the sandwiches, layering the smoked salmon, cheese, chives, and cooked lemon slices:
Lay out 4 slices of bread. Topped with layers of smoked salmon, cheese and chives. Use a fork to lift the lemon slices out of the pan and place a large lemon slice on top of each sandwich. Cover with a second layer of bread.
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Butter slices of bread, place sandwiches buttered side down in pan:
Spread the top slices of bread generously with butter. Once the pan is hot, place the sandwiches in the pan, buttered side down. Reduce the heat to medium.
Cook for a few minutes until the bottoms of the sandwiches are well toasted.
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Butter the top of the sandwiches in the pan, flip sandwiches:
Butter the top of the sandwiches in the pan. Use a metal spatula to turn the sandwiches over. Press down on the sandwiches with the metal spatula.
Cook until the bottoms of the sandwiches are nicely browned. If the cheese doesn’t melt, turn the heat down to low, cover the pan, and let it cook for a few more minutes.
