Anglo-French toastie

method

My mate Alan Carr is not the best cook in the world, but even he managed to make this epic, cheese-fuelled delight without too much trouble. The trick to a brilliant toastie is to use amazing ingredients, and that old classic: a toastie machine. These quantities serve one, but feel free to up them if you want to feed a friend too.

Lightly butter the slices of bread, then place buttered-side down on a chopping board. Slice and lay the cheeses over one piece of bread, top with the ham then place the second piece of bread on top, buttered-side up. Place into a preheated toastie maker, clamp the lid down and toast for 4 to 5 minutes, or until golden and crispy.

Meanwhile, add the vinegar and oil to a clean jam jar with a little pinch of salt and pepper, pop the lid on and shake to combine. Cut the apple into matchsticks, removing the core, then toss with the salad leaves and dressing. Serve the golden toastie with the fresh salad on the side, and tuck in.

serves: 1

ingredients

2 slices of white bread, around 1cm thick
unsalted butter
15g Comte cheese
15g Westcombe or artisan Cheddar cheese
2 slices of roasted ham
½ a tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon rapeseed oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small nice eating apple
a handful of mixed salad leaves such as frisse, watercress, rocket