Time, time, time. I swear that this recipe has been sitting here with me willing to tell you, wanting to tell you, waiting to tell you about it. So without further ado, here is this grilled fig and goat cheese sandwich.
Here’s how this happened in the first place. I went to Trader Joe’s, and as is likely to happen more often than not, I found myself with more than my list had bargained for. In this instance, a flat of figs found its way into my cart and when I got home I had to formulate a plan for said figs.
What I came up with was a fantastic fig and cardamom jam. You’re going to look at this recipe and think that I’ve been heavy handed with the cardamom, but trust, is all I have to say to you on that point. I added some creamy goat cheese and set it to get melty and gooey on top of the stove and here we are.
Because grilled cheese seems like a good thing to do these days, right? The temps are definitely dipping. Warm sandwiches come first. Soups, I’m coming for you next.
Comfort. It’s all about comfort.
I say as I watch my first Netflix Christmas movie of the year. Again, comfort, I say!
A few points to make about what I think makes a good sandwich. I was an official sandwich artist back in the day, so you can trust me.
First, pick good bread. Like, your favorite bread. I made this with one of my favorite five grains from Great Harvest Bread Co. Whatever you like – I’m sure some of you have some extra lying around…
Second, don’t skip on the fillings. Cheese up one side. A generous helping of jam on the other.
Third, low and slow on the heat. A cast-iron skillet will do nicely.
Fourth, give it a squish. I used another pot and a full tea kettle.
And voila! Lunch is served.
Oh, and if you have extra jam, my mom added the jam to her lamb curry in a moment of whimsy for a delicious tagine-esque twist on one of our family favorites.
Grilled Fig and Goat Cheese Sandwich
This grilled fig and goat cheese sandwich spreads a homemade fig cardamom jam on creamy goat cheese before getting toasty!
Ingredients
- For the jam:
- 1 pound fresh figs
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp powdered cardamom
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- For the rest:
- 4 slices of your favorite bread
- 2 TB unsalted butter
- 3 ounces creamy goat cheese
Directions
- Step 1 Make the jam:
- Step 2 Clean the figs by removing the stem and cutting them into quarters. Add them and the rest of the jam ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring contents in the saucepan to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low and simmer another 50 minutes or until mixture thickens. Stir frequently so that the mixture doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Transfer to a clean jar and set aside.
- Step 3 Spread 1/2 TB of butter on one side of each slice of bread. With the butter side down, spread 1/2 of the cheese over the other side of each. Top with 1-2 TB jam and the second slice of bread, butter side up. In a skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add one sandwich to the skilled. Using a brick or another pan weighted with a kettle or something heavy, press down on the sandwich. Cook until bread is golden and cheese is starting to melt, about 2 minutes. Flip the sandwich and continue to cook until the other bread is toasted, another 2 minutes. Cut in half and serve immediately
