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Gruyère Grilled Cheese with Apple Salad

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| Servings: Serves 2

I love Lucques’s rich, gooey grilled cheese with shallots. In the fall, the L.A. restaurant pairs it with a spot-on tart apple and arugula salad. This technique gets your bread golden and your cheese extra melty, making a simple sandwich something special (the Gruyère and shallots don’t hurt either). It’s rich enough that one sandwich and a double portion of salad make a satisfying lunch for two. Trust us. – Janet McCracken, Deputy Food Editor Bon Appétit Magazine September 2012

Ingredients

  • 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
  • ¾ cup ¼ inch thick sliced shallots
  • 1tsp. fresh thyme leaves
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 ½ inch thick slices country-style white bread
  • 8 oz. Gruyère, sliced ⅛ inch thick
  • 2 cups arugula
  • ½ apple (such as Pink Lady or Fuji), cut into ¼ inch slices
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400° F or 205°C.
  2. Heat 2 Tbsp. butter in a small saucepan over high heat. When butter begins to foam, add shallots and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon or spatula, until shallots begin to soften and caramelize, 4 to 5 minutes; remove from heat and set aside.
  3. Heat a large heavy-bottomed skillet over a medium heat. Working in 2 batches, add 1 Tbsp. butter and swirl in pan to met and coat bottom of pan. Add 2 slices of bread to pan and cook until golden brown and crisp on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes.
  4. Transfer bread, toasted side down, to a rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining butter and bread slices. Divide the cheese evenly among bread slices; top cheese with reserved shallots.
  5. Place baking sheet in oven and bake until cheese is melted, 7 to 8 minutes.
  6. Combine arugula, apple slices, lemon juice, and oil in a large bowl; toss to coat os and evenly distribute. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper.
  7. Press 2 pieces of bread together melted cheese sides in; halve sandwich on
    a diagonal and place on a plate. Repeat with remaining bread slices. Divide salad between plates.