I’ve been to some great restaurants this year and some terrible ones, some fancy and some more basic, but I’m a simple creature at heart and quite often all I really want is something comforting betwixt two slices of bread. You’d think finding this whilst out and about wouldn’t be a problem, especially since toasties are having a bit of a moment around town. But, as I’d previously found with doughnuts, they’re all too often to be found lacking, tear inducingly dull and badly assembled. Toasted sandwiches are not hard to get right, but it appears, diabolically easy to get wrong. I mean, who really wants a clump of ham and cheddar? Soggy tomato? Really? I know simple is sometimes best but NOT ALWAYS and only when the ingredients are outstanding (as they should be quite frankly) – at least put something else in there, even if it’s just some herbs, chutney, freshly cut tomato, spring onion, whatever. Also, fill evenly, I expect spreads all the way to the edges and I want an equal amount of filling in each and every bite – no-one wants naked toast.

You know that’s why I started making doughnuts don’t you? Because I was so bored and disappointed with everything else out there; just jam or custard; where were the curds, the pistachio creams and boozy jams? It remains that my favourite toasties are still the ones make at home.

I’m being overly ranty. Of course Kappacasein do an extraordinary beast, the bench mark for toasties, Sager and Wilde always have a great one on at their wine bar and the ones at Embassy East are very much worth a try. I just mean that on the whole toasties are disappointing when they should be a delight, small details too often ignored and SO uninspiring.

I wrote an ode to them once – well, sandwiches, but nearly.

So, I’m seeing 2014 off with this one and, as with many things, I’ll likely overdose on the combo till I’d rather stick pins in my eyes than eat it again. I’m like that – addictive personality and all that.

N’duja, Goats Gouda & Ewe’s Cheese, Truffle Honey and Sage Leaf Toastie

Cut two slices from a soft white loaf and butter the exterior sides.

Spread n’duja onto the unbuttered side of one, drizzle with truffle honey then pile on great handfuls of grated cheese, much more than looks decent. I used a combination of a sweet and tangy goats gouda and a semi soft ewe’s cheese, you could go regular goats cheese but you won’t get the alluring cheesy dribble and stringyness that I love in a good toastie. Finally add a couple of sage leaves to the top before putting in a sandwich press, they fry up all pleasingly crisp in the external layer of butter.

(I bought my n’duja and truffle honey in the foreign section at M&S but you can get both at various farmers markets and Borough Market and the n’duja at L’Anima Cafe is pretty unbeatable)

Always leave to toast for longer than you think it needs, till the n’duja melts and the cheese oozes out of the sides into molten pools.

Happy New Year!

The post N’duja, Goat & Ewe’s Cheese, Truffle Honey & Sage Toastie first appeared on The Faerietale Foodie.

I haven’t given up. However, you don’t need me to give you the lowdown on the latest restaurant openings, bars & cafes etc (though check my Instagram feed for a snapshot of that kind of suff) neither do you need me to write classic recipes. So expect the same sporadic, whimsical whispers, harebrained kitchen concoctions and occasional outbursts of cafe or restaurant love. I hope that’s ok with you.

If I’m honest, I’m more than over the Festive period, far from starving myself this New Year, but relishing throwing myself back into the gym. As always, I’m eagerly anticipating Winter’s proper New Year citrus gift of Blood Oranges. In fact I picked up an early crop at the weekend, just blushing pink at segments edge with reassuring tartness. Sure I’ll shoe-horn them into a few, not necessarily appropriate, recipes the moment I get a proper haul to play with.

Until then, I spent the last few days of the break working and simultaneously pottering around the kitchen – procrastinating you say? Yes, without a doubt.

I got entirely out of any kitchen rhythm towards the second half of the year, travelling, although inspiring, putting me in a situation where I was constantly in catch-up mode, not a state where I can really be bothered to concoct/bake/make a mess.

These fritters were inspired by a wander around the local greengrocers, based entirely on cravings that day, which I summoned by standing static in the centre and thinking, most probably looking vacant while doing so. Turned out these were that. I’m a curious one at times…..

Makes 2-3 portions

250g jerusalem artichokes scrubbed but not peeled

4 shallots

2 tablespoon plain flour

2 tablespoon spelt flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 eggs beaten

100g comte grated

salt & pepper

handful of sage leaves torn

oil for frying

Grate the jerusalem artichokes and shallots together and then squeeze out as much excess water as possible with a teatowell. Add the cheese, eggs, sage, seasoning, flours and baking powder and stir well to combine.

Heat generous oil in a large frying pan then spoon in golf ball sized portions of mixture before flattening with a spatula. Fry for several minutes before turning and squashing again. Fry until the fritters are golden and the cheese has melted and then crisped up again around the edges.

I have no problem serving these for lunch with avocado, even thought’s 2016 now. I served for dinner another day with a sort of spicy peperonata.

The post Jerusalem Artichoke, Comte, Shallot & Sage Fritters first appeared on The Faerietale Foodie.