GOURMET GRILLED HAM & CHEESE

GOURMET GRILLED HAM & CHEESE image

Yield 1

Number Of Ingredients 18

12 hot banana peppers
4 cloves garlic
1 cup yellow mustard
1 cup white wine vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup water
FOR THE SANDWICH:
4 to 6 thin slices (about 4 ounces) soppressata (Italian dry-cured salami)
1 egg
Salt and cracked black pepper
2 thin slices prosciutto
2 paper-thin slices red onion, soaked in ice water 2 minutes
4 thin slices Wisconsin Swiss cheese
2 thick slices sourdough bread or other bread of your choosing
1 tablespoon butter for grilling sandwich
4-6 large basil leaves
2 tablespoons Shasha sauce

Steps:

Make the Shasha sauce: Slice tops off peppers and discard. Roughly chop peppers and place in food processor. Add garlic, mustard and vinegar to processor and puree with peppers. Pour puree into nonreactive saucepan, add sugar and bring to boil over high heat. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes. Mix flour and water to form smooth paste. Whisk into simmering puree and return mixture to simmer. Cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring regularly, until sauce is very thick. Cool sauce, pour into nonreactive container and refrigerate. Can be refrigerated for up to 1 month. Makes about 3 cups. Delicious on sandwiches and grilled meats. Make the sandwich: Have all ingredients assembled so you can work quickly. Heat nonstick sauté pan over low and fry the soppressata until just crisped and some fat is rendered, about 2 minutes per side. Remove to plate. In same pan, fry egg, seasoned with salt and pepper, sunny-side-up. While egg is frying, drain onion and dry. Reserve fried egg. Layer prosciutto, reserved soppressata, onions and Swiss cheese on one slice of bread. Top with remaining slice of bread. Melt butter in hot pan and add sandwich, pressing down on sandwich. When bread is toasted on bottom side, turn over to grill other side, pressing down. Remove sandwich and place on cutting board. Remove top bread and layer basil leaves, Shasha sauce and fried egg over sandwich. Replace top and cut sandwich in half to serve.