Is this Australia's most indulgent (and TikTok-able) toastie?

It’s a fair advance on humble ham and cheese. Social media sensation Daen Lia used leftover lobster and fancy French cheese in a toastie. TikTok ate it up. Here’s how to make it.

Daen Lia – one of Australia's most popular food creators with 1.4 million followers on TikTok – has turned the humble cheese and ham toastie on its head by developing Australia's most indulgent toastie – lobster and French cheese. Supplied

It is a toastie with pizzazz: social media star Daen Lia has created what she claims is Australia’s most indulgent take on the classic quick bite, using melt-in-your-mouth French cheese with local lobster.

Lia, one of Australia’s top digital food creators with more than 1.4 million TikTok followers, said toasties were “a golden oldie, making a grand gourmet return”.

“Gourmet toasties should be at the top of any home cook’s favourite meal list,” Lia told Kitchen Confidential.

“A sense of nostalgia, gourmet ingredients, gorgeous breads, bubbling cheese caramelising and oozing; toasties will absolutely warm the heart.”

Lia has partnered with cheese brand Fromager d’Affinois to take the humble Aussie favourite to new heights using a huge amount of creativity and a fervent desire to make food sustainable.

Daen Lia is one of Australia's most popular food creators, with 1.4 million followers on TikTok. Picture: Supplied

A self-taught home cook, Lia rose to social media fame showing the world how to make proper crispy potatoes – and the viral response of more than 37 million views and 2.8 million likes inspired her to put her spin on the toastie.

Lia has created the most indulgent and one-of-a-kind toastie of all ahead of the entertaining season, the Lobster Cheese Toastie with Le Fromager, a delectable double cream cheese crafted in France and oozing with rich, buttery aromas and a velvety interior, the finest addition.

“There is something so unique about toasties, especially when you have a dinner party with left-over cheese and seafood during spring,” Lia explained.

“That’s how the lobster toastie idea was born. I created a lobster toastie using leftover cheese which I serve with a delicious lobster bisque. There is literally nothing better. When I was a child, toasties were always a mixture of what you had left over in the fridge and what a way to use succulent lobster pieces, artisan bread and incredible cheese.”

Lia noted the French had been making their famous croque monsieur since the early 1900s, stating it was natural to turn to the cheese speciality as an added touch.

“I love comfort food, generous, indulgent food. There is a certain excitement about using beautiful produce and beautiful ingredients. I love that we Australians call a toastie a toastie and not a grilled cheese, a jaffle, or a toasted sammy. The response on TikTok when I put up a toastie recipe was incredible. So many people asked me what a toastie is.”

HOW TO: DAEN’S SUPER INDULGENT TOASTIE

MAKES TWO

1 lobster tail roughly chopped

100g Le Fromager by Fromager D’affinois sliced into thick strips

4 tablespoons lobster bisque

Fresh chives roughly chopped

Squeeze of lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

4 slices from white sourdough

4 tablespoons mayonnaise

50g butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

METHOD:

1. Spread a tablespoon of mayonnaise onto the bottom piece of bread for your toastie and flip over. For each toastie, begin with a layer of Le Fromager by Fromager d’Affinois, followed by the lobster meat that has been divided in half and then 2 tablespoons of lobster bisque, drizzled over the lobster meat. Finish off with a sprinkling of fresh chives, squeeze of lemon and pinch of salt and pepper.

2. Top the toasties with a slice of bread and spread 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise over the top.

3. In a cast iron pan on a low heat, melt the butter and bring the olive oil to heat. When the butter is slightly foaming, place the toastie into the pan and cook on a very low heat for 10 minutes per side or until golden and crispy.

4. Cut the toasties in half and serve. Enjoy!