Happy Saturday sandwich lovers! I hope a lovely Easter was had by all…although that seems like a lifetime ago already. Who would have thunk it…snow at Easter? With most of it snuggled indoors it did go very quickly. However it was also an opportunity to try out a recipe I’ve been wanting to prepare for a while. Having missed a post for St. Patrick’s Day, I’ve decided to reverse a few weeks and go a bit Irish this week.
For those who have ever been to the Emerald Isle and eaten in a pub, you will know that there is a curiously Irish thing on the menu called a ‘Toasted Special’. This is a concoction of bacon ham, tomato, Cheddar cheese and onion; all toasted between two slices of white or brown bread. This week, we can prepare my version of this Irish staple…however me being me means there are some twists along the way.
This week you will need – tomatoes, spring onion, parsley, a punchy Cheddar cheese, mayo, wholegrain mustard, thickly carved ham, sliced Irish brown soda bread and…yes I’m actually going to say it…truffle butter 😊
First, slice a tomato, dice two spring onions and chop a handful of parsley and set them aside. Next, turn on the grill and get it nice and hot. In a bowl, place two spoons of the truffle butter and whip until soft. Spread the butter on one side of the bread and toast under the grill until golden brown. Turn over the bread and toast on the other side – careful not to burn it. Remove from the grill and set aside to cool – then turn off the grill heat and heat the oven – 200 degrees and close the door to get the oven hot.
Now, in the same bowl as the truffle butter was in, mix a tablespoon of mayo with a tablespoon of mustard and the chopped spring onion. Then, making sure that the bread is on a baking tray (butter side up), slather on the mayo mix. Then on top place the sliced tomatoes, next the ham and finally slices of the Cheddar. Sprinkle the top with some pepper and (if you have it – garlic salt). Place in the oven until the cheese is deliciously bubbling, browning and smells like walking into a French pastry shop first thing in the morning.
Remove from the oven, plate and sprinkle with the chopped parsley. If you can, do also serve with a generous dollop of coleslaw on the side for good measure. Next, hide, indulge and enjoy! Or of course, now that we can, share with your friends…they’ll thank you forever 😊
In the shop where I purchased the ingredients, I found only cans of Guinness. Now, being the good Irish guy that I am, I wouldn’t dream of it…so instead I picked up a wild card, which turned out to be an absolutely delicious Irish stout from the Carlow Brewing Company (aka O’Hara’s). Carlow, for those who don’t know, is a delightful town in the Irish Midlands; it also happens to be the place where I spent the first 8 years of life before we moved to Cork. Talk about a real find…amazing balance, dark, toasty, slightly smoky and utterly divine. Matched with the Toasted ‘Special’…a great combination and easily available from the well-known provisioners – Messrs. Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer of Leeds.
So that’s it for this week. I hope you enjoy preparing this little slice of Ireland. See you all again soon I hope!
Bígí cúramach a chairde!
PóB
Peadar Ó Brollacháin
Between The BreadSheets 