This week our Chicago Johnny's Co Olive Oil Giardiniera hit the Jewel Osco store shelves with our Midwestern Cherry Bourbon BBQ Sauce, and when I went into the stores to see it with my own eyes, I saw Krakus on sale. I decided to make this on a whim, and it was beyond delicious. Salty, smoky, creamy, sweet, and acidic. It's the perfect well rounded sandwich as far as flavor profiles go. The raspberry compote may seem too difficult for some of you, I encourage you to try making it from scratch, but you can substitute a jam or jelly for the compote, but it will be much sweeter.
When your grilled cheese hits the hot pan, this is your moment, pay attention while it's on the heat. Don't start checking your phone, don't run to the bathroom, don't go out front and talk to the neighbors... while you're making grilled cheese, your only focus should be on your grilled cheese. It's so easy to overheat an area, burn an area but undercook other areas, cook at too high a heat so the outside burns before your cheese fully melts.... Cook until all bread is crispy and has some color all over. I like to cut it in thirds, with a trapezoid missing out of the middle so that you have two real crispy crusty outsides, and one middle with more delicate and soft edges without a lot of crust. I generally prefer the outside edges with extra crust, but a mix of textures is always welcome.
Krakus ham is a boiled deli ham, but it's the best boiled deli ham. Get it shaved from the deli, you don't want thick slices. Shaved Krakus almost dissolves in your mouth, it gives sweet and salty balance to your sandwich, and it's tender as can be. The giardiniera inside of this sandwich is optional, but I like it because without the giardiniera crunch, you'd be noticeably chewing on raspberry seeds.
I used Sargento brand cheese, Turano brand Pane Turano bread (old world, crusty, dense bread in the shape of a boule), Krakus brand ham, and Chicago Johnny's Co Olive Oil Giardiniera.
Print the recipe below
Turano https://amzn.to/3xR7LlJ
Cast Iron Skillet https://amzn.to/3W7xK1B
Raspberry Compote Replacement https://amzn.to/4cL6D26