Try these 10 tips to make any toastie a hit sandwich

SOUTH Yarra king of cakes Darren Purchese gives his top 10 tips to making the perfect toasted sandwich.

With a crack and crunch that gives way to oozy, savoury goodness inside, there are few more simply satisfying and satisfyingly simple dishes than a good toastie.

Loved and created in kitchens across the country, they are the failsafe dish everyone can make, for even those who profess that they can’t cook can grill cheese on toast.

“If pastry and chocolate are my profession and passion, then toasties are my hobby and obsession,” writes king of cakes Darren Purchese, from Burch and Purchese, in his latest cookbook Chefs Eat Toasties Too.

“When I was a kid my mum would make me simple white bread cheese on toast. I loved it and would ask for more until I was able to make my own. I’d experiment with extra toppings, different cheeses and breads. I was obsessed with creating the best melted-cheese experience ever.”

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So what has he learnt over that time? Here are Darren’s 10 tips for a top toastie.

Comforting old-school cheese toastie. Recipe: Chefs Eat Toasties Too

LOAFING AROUND

Of course, a toastie is nothing without bread. Darren says this is the first – and vitally important – step in creating memorable mouthfuls.

“I look for something like brioche for lighter-style toasties, or sandwiches that are soaked in an egg custard batter first before frying,” he says.

“I use a sourdough for grilled toasties and I am a big fan of square white sandwich loaf for many pan-fried, pressed or jaffle toasties.”

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GREAT ON PAPER

“Sandwiches can be hard or messy to handle sometimes, especially when assembling and trying to put them into a pan or a jaffle maker,” Darren says.

To make assembly easy, he suggests cutting a piece of baking paper about the same size as the bread slice. Butter your bread and place it butter-side down onto the paper. Assemble the sandwich and then when you’re ready to cook, use a palette (or butter) knife under the paper to move the sandwich as needed. Flip onto your hand, place onto the hot surface and remove the paper.

LESS IS MORE

“Great toasties come from great ingredients so it is worth using reputable suppliers for the key ingredients. A toastie uses only a few ingredients so they all need to be good,” Darren says.

“Seek out a great cheesemonger, baker and butcher and ask them for the best suggestions to take your sandwich to professional heights.”

BUILDING CODE

The next step is to think about the construction of your toastie, as the same ingredients layered in different orders can yield different results.

“For example, placing sliced tomato straight onto a slice of toast may result in soggy bread so you could think of a suitable barrier in between to eradicate this problem.”

 

Anthony Femia of Maker & Monger at Prahran Market.

SAY CHEESE

“Not all toasties need cheese but a good percentage of them do. My friend Anthony Femia from Maker & Monger at Prahran Market always gives me the right advice when I ask him his opinion,” Darren says.

Take a moment to think about the ingredients and the flavour combos you’re going for.

“A blue cheese toastie may sound like a great idea but instead of using all blue, resulting in a too strong sanger, try mixing small amounts with a milder tasting melty cheese,” Darren says.

Also consider that cheeses have different melting and stretching points, so it’s worth seeking advice.

“Cheese will melt faster at room temperature as well.”

 

Darren Purchese says great toasties have great ingredients. Picture: ANDREW TAUBER

THEORY OF EVOLUTION

“That grilled piece of heaven you made yesterday may not be the best possible version of your toastie, so keep pushing the boundaries,” Darren says. “I have honed my cheese on toast for many years now but I am always looking for improvements. Don’t make changes for the sake of it but try a new bread, filling, topping or cheese to ensure you are striving for next-level toastieness!”

 

BE PREPARED

Heresy to some, but Darren says yes, you can make toasties in advance, wrapping them in cling film and leaving to set in the fridge, ready to cook when needed.

“This is totally acceptable and convenient, but just remember to bring out the sandwiches early to come to room temperature,” he says.

Sandwiches can be made up to a couple of days in advance depending on the filling and the added “setting” time will result in a toastie that doesn’t collapse into a mess.

 

SURRENDER TO SWEET

Contrary to popular belief, toasties don’t always have to be savoury. “As a sweet guy I absolutely advocate the dessert toastie,” Darren says.

He says let your imagination rip. “The options are endless, think chocolate, salt and olive oil or strawberry and white chocolate, or caramel, banana and milk chocolate.”

The choice of bread is crucial when going to the sweet side, with brioche a good option for a dessert toastie treat.

 

HOT STUFF

For best results always, always, always, preheat your pan, grill, jaffle iron – whatever you’re using to cook the sandwich to ensure a crisp and crunchy exterior. “Cooking from cold may result in a soggy and underwhelming finish,” he says.

 

OUT OF THE BOX

Sure, a ham and cheese toastie is delicious, but Darren says it pays to think outside the tried and true every now and then. “Almost anything can be put into a sandwich, so create your own classic combination. All you need are a few ingredients, some imagination and bread.”

This is an edited extract from Chefs Eat Toasties Too by Darren Purchese published by Hardie Grant Books (RRP $29.99). Photographer: ©Brendan Homan

 

Mixing different cheeses can give a toastie a different flavour.

COMFORTING OLD-SCHOOLCHEESE TOASTIE

Serves: 4

Prep: 22 minutes

 

8 slices brioche loaf

140g gruyere, grated

140g Montgomery cheddar, grated

4 spring onions, white part only, thinly sliced

60ml Worcestershire sauce

Freshly ground black pepper

240g unsalted butter, softened

 

1. Mix the two cheeses together in a bowl. Evenly distribute the cheese between four slices of brioche and level it out with your fingers. Add a sliced spring onion to each sandwich and splash Worcestershire sauce over the top. Freshly grind some black pepper on each slice, top with the remaining slices of brioche and push down gently.

2. Preheat the oven to 180C.

3. In a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat, warm 80g of the butter until it is just starting to froth. Add two sandwiches to the pan and cook them for a few minutes until they are golden brown, then flip them over and cook the other side for a minute or two. Use a spatula to remove the sandwiches from the pan and transfer them to a baking tray lined with baking paper. Wipe the frying pan with paper towel and add another 80g of butter. Heat the pan again and cook the remaining two sandwiches the same way as the first. Transfer these to the tray with the other sandwiches.

4. Spread the remaining butter on top of the sandwiches, then place them in the oven to bake for 6 minutes. Remove the toasties from the oven and allow them to sit for a minute before cutting in half and serving.

 

A strawberry prosciutto manchego toastie. Recipe: Chefs Eat Toasties Too.

STRAWBERRY, PROSCIUTTO, MANCHEGO + HONEY TOASTIE

Serves: 4

Prep: 15 minutes

 

4 individual baguettes, split, or 1 large baguette, cut into four, sliced lengthways

80ml olive oil

120g strawberries, hulled and sliced

12 thin slices prosciutto

12 thin slices manchego

90g honey

 

1. Heat a toasted sandwich press. Preheat a chargrill pan or barbecue for 5 minutes to hot. Drizzle some of the olive oil inside the baguettes and place them on the grill or barbecue to char and toast slightly.

2. Remove the bread and arrange the slices of strawberry on the baguettes, followed by the prosciutto and manchego. Add 1 tbsp honey to each sandwich, close and rub some olive oil on the outside of each baguette. Heat a toasted sandwich press and cook
the baguettes for a few minutes until crispy on the outside. Remove, cut in half and serve.