MAKES 2 (WITH LEFTOVER CHUTNEY). HANDS-ON TIME 30 MIN, SIMMERING TIME 30 MIN, OVEN TIME 5-6 MIN
The chutney will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week. Use the leftovers on cheeseboards, with a ploughman’s or in chicken wraps.
FOR THE CHUTNEY
• 250ml red wine vinegar
• 250g caster sugar
• 1½ tsp black mustard seeds
• 1½ tsp cumin seeds
• 2 red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 banana shallots, finely chopped
• 1 bunch raw beetroot, peeled and coarsely grated (around 500g prepared weight)
FOR THE TOASTIE
• 4 slices good bread
• Butter for spreading
• 2 thick slices good quality ham
• 100g mix of blue cheese and cheddar, crumbled or grated
• Parmesan for grating
1. To make the chutney, gently warm the vinegar and sugar in a pan over a medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the remaining chutney ingredients and some salt. Bring to the boil and cook for around 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the mixture has reduced and the liquid is syrupy. Leave to cool.
2. Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/ gas 4 and put a baking sheet inside. Butter one side of each slice of bread. Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat, then add 2 of the bread slices, butter-side down. Spread with a couple of spoonfuls of chutney, top with a slice of ham each, then divide the blue cheese and cheddar between them.
Sandwich with the remaining slices of bread, butter-side up. Cook for 5-6 minutes, pressing down on the sandwiches with a spatula or fish slice until the bread has toasted on the underside. Flip and repeat.
3. Grate a good layer of parmesan over the top of each sandwich, then flip again, frying until the cheese is golden and crisp. Transfer to the baking sheet, parmesan-side up, and bake in the oven for 5-6 minutes to properly melt the cheese inside.
PER TOASTIE
• 577kcals,
• 29.4g fat (17.2g saturated),
• 25.6g protein, 51.1g carbs (17g sugars),
• 2.7g salt,
• 3.1g fibre.
