Spring Gruyère Grilled Cheese

Ingredients

• For the Sweet Pickles:
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 lb thinly-sliced cucumbers (approximately 1/16”)
• For the Raspberry Jam:
• 12 ounces raspberries
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup water
• Kosher salt
• For the Chive Butter:
• 1/4 pound salted butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• Freshly-cracked black pepper
• For the Sandwiches:
• 8 slices sourdough bread (approximately 1/4” thick)
• 1 (6-oz) block Emmi Le Gruyère AOP cheese, shredded
• 2 ounces thinly-sliced prosciutto
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Method

1. For the Sweet Pickles: Place the cucumbers into a heat-proof bowl. Combine the sugar, vinegar, water, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring the liquid to a boil. Pour the liquid over the cucumbers. Let sit for about 30 minutes, fully submerged.
2. For the Raspberry Jam: Combine the raspberries, honey, lemon zest, lemon juice, water, and a pinch of salt in a 2qt saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for a final 10 minutes.
3. For the Chive Butter: combine the butter, chives, dill, granulated garlic, and onion powder in a mixing bowl. Season with freshly cracked black pepper. Mix to combine.
4. For the Sandwiches: Lay the bread out. Spread the chive butter onto each slice. Set 4 “top” slices aside. Layer the raspberry jam, Gruyère cheese, sweet pickles (drain the liquid off first), and prosciutto onto each “bottom slice”. Close each sandwich with the top slice.
5. Heat a large 12” skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and let it melt. Carefully transfer 2 of the sandwiches to the skillet. Cook on one side until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip the sandwiches over. Cook for another 2 minutes. Cover the skillet with a lid and finish cooking for another minute, or until the cheese is melted. (Lower the heat as needed throughout the cooking process if the bread is getting too dark.)
6. Transfer the sandwiches to a cutting board and repeat with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and sandwiches. Cut each sandwich in half and serve immediately.
7. Note: To make this grilled cheese simpler, you can use store-bought sweet pickles (thinly sliced) and store-bought raspberry jam.