Equipment
Ingredients
Sandwich Base
- 160 g sourdough bread, sliced
- 120 g taleggio cheese, sliced
- 20 g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
Flavor Accents
- 40 g dried apricots, thinly sliced
- 15 g capers, drained and roughly chopped
- 10 g dijon mustard, smooth
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 526 kcal
- Protein
- 20 g
- Carbohydrates
- 52 g
- Fat
- 25 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 12 g
- Sodium
- 2495 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 15 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Cholesterol
- 22 mg
- Potassium
- 237 mg
- Calcium
- 125 mg
- Iron
- 0.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 9 mg
- Phosphorus
- 17 mg
- Zinc
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 137 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 1 mg
- Vitamin E
- 1.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 3 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.0 mcg
- Riboflavin
- 0.03 mg
- Niacin
- 0.6 mg
- Folate
- 4 mcg
- Water
- 14 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Slice the dried apricots into thin strips and roughly chop the drained capers. Cut the Taleggio cheese into even slices to ensure consistent melting.
Butter one side of each bread slice evenly. Lay the slices buttered-side down on your cutting board. Spread the Dijon mustard evenly across the upward-facing, unbuttered sides of two slices.
Layer the sliced Taleggio evenly over the mustard. Distribute the sliced apricots and chopped capers on top of the cheese. Close the sandwiches with the remaining bread slices, buttered side facing outward.
Place a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the assembled sandwiches and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Press down gently with a spatula occasionally.
Carefully flip the sandwiches using a spatula. Cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes on the second side until the bread is golden and the cheese is thoroughly melted and gooey.
Remove the sandwiches from the skillet and let them rest on a cutting board for 1 minute before slicing in half to serve warm.
Chef's Notes
- If your Taleggio is overly ripe and too soft to slice cleanly, place it in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes to firm up before preparing the sandwich.
- For an exceptionally crisp, shatteringly crunchy exterior, try using mayonnaise instead of butter on the outside of the bread. It browns more evenly and has a higher smoke point.
- Taleggio's washed rind is edible and adds a complex, earthy funk. However, if you prefer a milder sandwich focused purely on the creaminess and the fruit, trim the rind away before slicing.
- Chop the capers rather than leaving them whole to ensure they do not roll out of the sandwich when you take a bite, and to distribute their briny flavor more evenly.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 day — Can be stored wrapped in foil, though the bread will lose its crispness.
Reheating: Reheat in a dry skillet over medium-low heat until the bread crisps up and the cheese is melted.
Troubleshooting
Bread burns before the cheese melts completely.
Cause: The skillet temperature was too high, toasting the exterior too quickly.
Fix: Lower the heat immediately. If the bread is already too dark, remove it from the skillet and finish melting the cheese in a 150°C/300°F oven for a few minutes.
Prevention: Cook over medium-low heat, giving the residual heat time to penetrate to the center of the sandwich.
Sandwich feels too greasy or heavy.
Cause: Too much butter was applied to the bread exterior.
Fix: Pat the exterior of the finished sandwich gently with a paper towel before serving.
Prevention: Apply a very thin, even layer of softened butter from edge to edge.
Cultural Context
While the grilled cheese is an enduring staple of North American comfort food, this iteration draws heavily on European flavor profiles. The pairing of washed-rind Italian Taleggio with sweet preserved fruits and sharp French mustard mimics a classic continental cheese board, cleverly pressed into a hot, handheld format.
