Black Friday Grilled Cheese with Kitchen Sink Cranberry Sauce

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup finely chopped dried tart cherries
• 1/4 cup finely chopped dried apricot
• 3 tablespoons chopped candied ginger chews, or other candy
• 1 orange, zested
• 1 lemon, zested
• 2 tablespoons minced red Fresno chili pepper
• 1 star anise pod
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 1/4 cups orange juice
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 12 ounces fresh cranberries
• 1/3 cup chopped toasted walnuts (optional)

For Each Black Friday Grilled Cheese

• 2 thick slices French bread
• 4 ounces Brie cheese
• 3 tablespoons cranberry sauce, or to taste
• 3 ounces thinly sliced turkey breast
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

DIRECTIONS

1. For cranberry sauce: add cherries, apricot, ginger candy, orange zest, lemon zest, Fresno chile, star anise, maple syrup, sugar, orange juice, salt, and cayenne to a saucepan, and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until dried fruit softens and the mixture reduces and thickens very slightly, 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Turn the heat up to medium-high, and when mixture begins to boil, add cranberries, and cook, stirring, until almost all the cranberries have softened and collapsed, and the mixture has reduced and thickened, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in walnuts.
3. Transfer mixture into a bowl and let cool to room temperature. Wrap and refrigerate until needed.
4. For each sandwich: Cut Brie into thin slices and divide evenly on both slices of bread. On one slice, spoon over the cranberry sauce, stopping about 1/8-inch from edges of bread. Place sliced turkey down on the other bread slice. Season both sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place 1 slice of bread on top of the other, and press down slightly to compress.
5. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a pan set over medium heat. Place the sandwich in, pressing down with the back of a spatula. Cover the pan, and cook until the bread is nicely browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Move the sandwich to the side of the pan, and melt remaining butter in the empty space. Flip the sandwich over onto the freshly melted butter, and cook, covered, to brown the second side, about 3 minutes.
6. Once both sides are browned, sprinkle in about a teaspoon of water around the sandwich, and quickly cover with the lid. Steam for about 20 to 30 seconds, then transfer to a cutting board. Cut sandwich in half, and serve with hot leftover gravy if desired.