11104Grape and Taleggio Grilled Cheese35 mins15 mins1 sandwichFri Sep 14 15:47:00 -0700 2007Thu Aug 13 13:12:58 -0700 2009EasyItalianCHOW
http://www.chow.com/recipes/11104
Thu, 13 Aug 2009 20:12:58 GMTDoused in grappa for a boozy, floral noteDoused in grappa for a boozy, floral note.
To complement the pleasant mustiness of Taleggio cheese, we paired it with grapes bathed in grappa. Delicious for lunch, this sandwich would be equally good cut into rectangles as a quick hors d’oeuvre.
What to buy:
Grappa is a distilled grape liqueur from Italy; it can be found in high-end liquor stores and online. We liked the floral notes of Inga Grappa di Moscato, which doubles as a nice after-dinner drink.
Taleggio is a washed-rind, semisoft cheese from Italy’s Lombardy region.
Combine grapes and grappa in a bowl and let macerate for 15 to 20 minutes. Drain off excess grappa.
Heat a large frying pan over medium-low heat. Meanwhile, spread butter on 1 side of each slice of bread.
Once the pan is warm, add 1 slice of bread buttered side down, and top with 1/2 of the cheese, all the grapes, and finally the remaining cheese. Close with the second bread slice, buttered side up.
Cook until bread is toasted and cheese is melted, about 3 minutes per side.
Beverage pairing:Calera Central Coast Pinot Noir, California. Taleggio can be a strong, musky cheese, so it needs a wine of equal conviction, but with a taste of earthiness itself. That’s why Pinot is a good call, and this well-made wine from California’s Central Coast has all that’s needed to both match the cheese, but also resonate with the grapes.