Comté grilled cheese sandwich with cranberry relish

I was introduced to the infinite joys of Comté Cheese only recently. It was love at first bite – both for me and my husband – and we spent a very happy weekend finding excuses to eat yet another little slice until our substantial wedge had been whittled down to nothing (clearly, we were making up for lost time). Comté cheese is such an all rounder – it slices, grates and melts brilliantly which allows you to use it both on the cheese board and in just about any cheese recipe you can think of. The taste is rich, creamy, nutty, slightly sweet and massively addictive.

Comté cheese is made in the Massif du Jura region of France – a tradition dating back centuries. Comté’s co-operative methods of production are still based on the original artisan traditions, and since Comté was granted AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) status in 1958, it must be produced following a strict set of regulations. Only Montbéliarde and French Simmental cows allowed for the production of Comté milk. The cows must only be fed with natural feed and have at least 2.5 acres of grazing pasture (maybe this is where ‘lucky cow’ expression comes from). The raw milk is then delivered to the local fruitières (cheese dairy farms) which must be situated within an 8 mile radius in order to guarantee absolute freshness.

   The freshly made cheese wheels are pre-ripened for a few weeks before moving to one of the 16 maturing cellars. Here the affineurs (agers) look after them from 4 to 18 months, regularly turning, salting and rubbing each one with brine solution. Over time, the Comté wheels develop their smooth texture, rich colour and unique flavour.

1. Preheat a griddle pan or large heavy frying pan. Spread some butter on one side of each bread slice. Griddle for a couple of minutes, buttered side down, until bread is lightly toasted.
2. Remove the bread from the pan. Butter the other side all the way to the edges.
3. Turn the bread over to the toasted side and spread with a little cranberry sauce or relish. Add with the cheese slices and then top with the other slice, griddled side in.
4. Return the sandwich to the pan and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side, pressing down with a spatula. The sandwich is ready when the cheese is nicely melty and the bread golden and crisp. Slice in half and enjoy!