This is not a dessert recipe but apart from my sweet tooth, I have a great weakness for cured meats. I am especially partial to cured meats between two slices of bread. I think ham, apple and brie is an amazing trio. Brie is arguably my favorite cheese, and ham is my second-most favorite type of deli meat, the first being prosciutto. A tart apple adds crunch. What ups the ante, however, is mustard and fig jam.
Here’s how the humble ham sandwich has evolved for me. As a child, I used to eat ham and processed cheese sandwiches a lot. They were a quick and easy snack that I could make for myself. As I grew older, I’d toast the bread and the cheese, so it’d get all melty and gooey. Next, I’d use brie instead of processed cheese. Slather on fig jam onto a slice. Then I encountered The Grey Dog‘s version of the ham/brie sandwich and I was blown away. They added apple slices and applied a raspberry/mustard spread. It was a wonderful meld of savory, sweet, tart, and spicy, not to mention the creamy texture of the brie along with the crunch of the apple and the crisp, toasted bread.
The following recipe is my tribute to The Grey Dog’s apple/brie sandwich. To amazing sandwiches.
Ham, Brie and Apple Sandwich
Two slices of your favorite bread, ideally a whole wheat one or a really hearty loaf
As much brie as you want
Fig jam
Mustard
Thinly sliced ham
Thinly sliced apple (I used Golden Delicious; I thought Granny Smiths would be too tart for my own tastes)
Toast (or not) the bread. Slather on fig jam on one slice and mustard on another. Apply the brie on one side. Layer the ham on top of it. Cover with the other slice of bread. Done!
Want Dessert 