With National Cheese Toastie Day taking place on Sunday 27th October, there's no better time to pimp up the simple snack with this temptingly good recipe from Helen Graves @foodstories on Instagram, author of BBQ Days and Nights, editor of Pit Magazine and founder of #WillItSandwich?.
We challenged Helen to create the ultimate European cheese toastie and her recipe certainly hits the indulgence spot, thanks to the inclusion of the delicious, creamy Reblochon PDO cheese.
Says Helen: “This toastie is inspired by a comfort food classic: tartiflette. Layers of creamy mashed potato, sweet caramelised onions, bacon and - the crowning glory - some oozing Reblochon cheese, make this a really, seriously good sandwich. Serve with cornichons and mustard to balance the richness.”
Anyone who has enjoyed the gratifying goodness of tartiflette on a cold autumn day, will testify that it's a real winner of a dish. And after a hike around the stunning valleys of the Savoie it tastes even better!
Helen's suggested top serve is serving the Tartiflette Toastie simply with mustard and cornichons but you could also serve it with a salad tossed in a Dijon mustard dressing and a glass of dry white wine from the Savoie.
Reblochon has been produced in the Savoie region for more than half a Millennium and is exclusively produced with locally-produced whole raw cow's milk.
The cheese is so called, because the farmers would wait until the tax collectors had visited until they milked their cows the second time, to avoid paying more milk tax. (Smart folks, farmers!)
The second milking produces richer, creamer milk. 'Reblocher' means to milk again in Savoie dialect, thus Reblochon was created. The creamy textured, cheese has a mild, velvety, fruity taste and a delicious nutty aftertaste, it's utterly delicious on a Christmastime cheese board and pairs well with fruit and vegetables.
For those looking for alternatives and who appreciate cheeses with character, you can replace Reblochon with Maroilles PDO. This raw-milk cheese is considered the king of cheeses from the North of France.
Mont d'Or PDO also lends itself very well to this comforting dish, plus it's the season for this cheese, which is only available from mid-September to mid-May. For those who prefer something a little sweeter, a Camembert with its rustic aroma will go wonderfully with the melting potatoes and toasted sourdough.
However, for a real treat - try the recipe below.
Tartiflette Toastie by Helen Graves
Makes 1 toastie
2 slices sourdough bread
100g smoked bacon lardons
2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into even-sized chunks
100ml cream
¼ tsp grated nutmeg
1 smashed garlic clove
75g butter
2 onions, sliced
Splash of white wine
1 sprig of thyme, leaves picked
3 thick slices Reblochon cheese
Cornichons and mustard, to serve
1/ Add the onions to a frying pan with 25g butter and a pinch of salt. Cook for 40 minutes, stirring regularly, until deeply caramelised. Add the thyme and white wine and allow the wine to cook off. Set aside.
2/ Add the bacon lardons to a small frying pan and allow the fat to render over low heat, stirring regularly, until crisp. Set aside.
3/ Cook the potatoes in plenty of boiling salted water, then drain.
4/ Warm 25g butter with the cream and garlic clove.
5/ Strain the garlic clove and mash the potatoes with the cream and butter. Season well.
6/ Heat a skillet or frying pan and add the remaining butter.
Take one slice of sourdough and top with a layer of mashed potato. Add the onions, then the Reblochon cheese and bacon lardons. Add the final slice of bread and transfer to the pan.
Cook for 5 minutes each side, or until golden brown and crisp. Serve with cornichons and mustard.