OK, I tried something new yesterday and I want ideas on making this sandwich better.
Basically, it’s a grilled cheese comprised of oat and nut bread, buttered on the outside. Inside the bread is lightly mayo’d and has Jarlsberg cheese slices, 2 each side, between which I placed kimchi. This gives it an amazing balance of tangy, spicy, crunchy and savoury but it is still missing something. What should I add, Oh Wise Ones?
For giggles, I did the whole Jamie Oliver crown of cheese he mentions in his new cookbook which added an interesting crunchy texture and , more cheese, which is rarely a bad thing.
I dipped this concoction into ketchup, which my wife finds disgusting, but she puts it on roast beef sandwiches so what does she know?
I would think that if you simply left out the mayo, that sandwich would be improved. ( I admit ignorance about kimchi. I don’t know what it is. maybe leave that out?) What about adding a salty meat like salami or pepperoni? And leave off the ketchup, too.
If the intent is to be a grilled cheese you need to leave both the mayo and the kimchi. Anything other than cheese, bread, and butter or margarine and it ceases to be a grilled cheese. For a yummy sandwich, I’m going to second bobot and suggest losing the mayo and catsup. Unless you like them. I don’t, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have them.
I think the mayo is a good addition. Honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing. Maybe use a stronger cheese like a cheddar? If you eat meat, then you can add something porky (like bacon) or roast beef or even roast turkey.
Thinly sliced granny smith apples. Apples and Kim Chee work well together and Apples and sharp cheeses work well together so the apples should add a crunch and sweetness that’s missing.
Agreed with the apples. You have savory, sour, and salty, now you need a touch of sweetness. If apples don’t work out, try a thin smear of apricot jam.
Sriyonnaise! Mix a big old dollop of sriracha into some mayonnaise. It’s a delicious dip/condiment for everything, and I bet it’d be great with this sandwich.
I think rye bread would stand up to the intensity of the kimchi better than the oat and nut bread you used originally.
I don’t think the dish needs to be any spicier - the kimchi is spicy enough. How about adding some traditional Korean flavors? You could use sesame oil instead of butter on the bread (or in the pan), or you could put sesame seeds in the sandwich. You could make a bulgoki marinade and use that as a condiment.
4 slices of cheese in a single sandwich? Maybe it’s just me but, that’s a ton of cheese, for a single sandwich I think. With two slices of whole grain bread? Sorry, no can do. I’d be lucky to consume a half of such a sandwich, yikes.
(Colour me impressed with your digestinal fortitude, all of y’all!)
The Ketchup is for dipping and strictly optional as is the mayo; I hadn’t thought about an aioli and I really like the srirachonaise idea, or maybe lemon pepper. That just may make it to my normal grilled cheeses.
The shredded cheese was old cheddar (Collier’s Welsh Cheddar to be precise) and I concur that it definitely helped.
I was initially leaning toward Parma ham or shinkenspeck in the next iteration but the apple idea has me intrigued! I also like the green idea, especially arugula, but if I add them with the apples it may make it too soggy. I am also partial to light rye so I may try that as well, although the oat bread browns up very nicely.
Elbows, these Jarlsberg slices are smaller than a typical processed cheese slice so two of them is roughly the same as one “normal” one, and the shredded cheese on the outside is less than 1/2 cup total so it’s not as much as you think.
(I’ve seen that stuff before, but since I keep mayonnaise and Sriracha in the fridge, and since I can mix it the way I want in about twenty seconds, I don’t much see the point of buying it prebottled).
