Bill Oglethorpe's Borough Market three-cheese toastie
The aim with this exceptional toasted cheesesandwich isto let the ingredients speak for themselves. The montgomery cheddar is made with raw milk and matured asa cloth‑bound cheese for 18 months. Asmall proportion of comté and ogleshield cheeses broadens the flavour. The latter is a full‑bodied, washed‑rind cheese. If it's unavailable, you could substitute with raclette, ardrahan, mini milleens, gubbeen, pont l'évêque, munster or something similar. The montgomery is a natural companion to the Poilâne sourdough bread, which is made with stoneground organic white flour and is baked in a wood‑fired oven. It's a very labour‑intensive loaf, taking sixhours to make. Used a day old, it forms aperfect crust.
Makes 1
80g montgomery's cheddar, grated
10g comté cheese, grated
10g ogleshield cheese, grated
2 slices of Poilâne sourdough bread
2 tsp mixed chopped white and red onions, leek and crushed garlic
1 Assemble the sandwich and place it in a hot, lightly greased griddle pan (assuming you don't have a panini toaster). Place a frying pan on top of the sandwich and weigh it down with a couple of cans.
2 Cook it for about 3 minutes until the crust starts to brown and the cheese melts through the pores of the bread. Flip it a couple of times so it cooks evenly, but make sure you don't overcook it, or you won't be able to taste all the flavours.
Recipe supplied by Bill Oglethorpe of Kappacasein dairy, kappacasein.com
Egg salad sandwich
This recipe always gets rave reviews. You could vary the flavour by replacing the paprika with 2 teaspoons of curry powder, a popular seasoning for egg salad. And if you want some crunch, add 50g finely diced celery, or some chopped toasted walnuts or pecans.
Makes 4
6 medium eggs
Ice cubes, for chilling the boiled eggs
4 tbsp mayonnaise, or more to taste
2 tbsp spring onions or shallots, finely chopped
2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Salt and black pepper
1 tbsp lemon juice
1-2 tsp Dijon mustard (optional)
½ tsp sweet paprika
8 slices of wholemeal or multigrain bread, toasted if desired
1 small bunch watercress or baby rocket, rinsed, dried and stemmed, or ¼ iceberg lettuce, shredded
Sliced tomato (optional)
1 Place the eggs in a saucepan big enough for them all to sit in a single layer. Cover with cold water. Place the saucepan on a medium heat and bring to the boil. Set a timer and cook the eggs for exactly 5 minutes so the yolks are still slightly soft.
2 Place a bowl in the sink and use a slotted spoon to transfer the eggs to the bowl. Run cold water over the eggs while you use the back of the spoon to gently smash their shells in several places. Add two cups of ice cubes to the bowl and enough water to cover the eggs.
3 Remove one egg at a time, peel it, then set aside. Rinse the peeled eggs under running water and return them to the ice water until fully cold. Transfer to a dry bowl, cover with clingfilm and refrigerate until needed.
4 When you're ready to make the salad, whisk together the mayonnaise, spring onions, parsley, salt, pepper, lemon juice, mustard (if using) and paprika in a medium mixing bowl. Coarsely chop the eggs and add to the bowl, then gently fold everything together.
5 Divide the salad evenly among four of the slices of bread, spreading it flat, then add the leaves and tomato slices, if using. Top with the remaining slice of bread and serve.
Bread by Nick Malgieri (Kyle Books). Order a copy for £20 with free UK p&p (save £5) from guardianbookshop.co.uk or call 0330 333 6846.
Tortas de Carnitas
Possibly the most interesting sandwiches in the world, Mexican tortas combine boldly seasoned elements in a way that achieves both complexity and a certain delicacy. A torta is usually constructed with a soft telera roll, but there are dozens of regional variations on the bread. This recipe is adapted from Roberto Santibañez, chef and owner of Fonda in Manhattan's East Village and Park Slope in Brooklyn, New York. He arguably cooks the best Mexican food outside of Mexico.
Makes 8
For the carnita
900g boneless pork shoulder, cut into 4cm pieces
720ml water
140g onion, thinly sliced
4 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp orange juice
8 garlic cloves, peeled
3 medium bay leaves
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
For the tortas
8 teleras or rolls of your choice
60g unsalted butter, softened
240g refried black beans
1 white or red onion, finely sliced
8 slices pickled jalapeños, or more or less to taste
2 avocados, peeled, quartered and cut into 1cm slices
4 tbsp mayonnaise or creme fraiche
1 Combine the pork shoulder with the water, white onion, vegetable oil, orange juice, garlic, bay leaves, oregano and salt in a 3 or 4-litre casserole. Bringto the boil over a medium heat, skimming as necessary, then reduce the heatto an active simmer.
2 Cook until the water evaporates, the pork is very tender and it starts to fry in its rendered fat. This should take about 1½ hours.
3 Transfer to a baking dish and bake the pork and fat at 220C/450F/gasmark 8 for about 20 minutes, or until itcolours deeply.
4 Allow to cool until just warm. For advance preparation, cool, cover and refrigerate. Reheat and cool to lukewarm before using.
5 Split the rolls and butter both sides. Lightly toast on a griddle, in a large frying pan over a medium heat, or under the grill.
6 Spread the bottom halves of each roll with 2tbsp refried beans. Spread an eighth of the carnita mixture on each. Top with slices of onion, pickled jalapeños and avocado.
7 Spread the top halves of each roll with mayonnaise and press lightly on the torta to adhere. Although tortas are notusually cut in half before being served, itmakes eating them alittle easier. Serveimmediately.
Bread by Nick Malgieri (Kyle Books). Order a copy for £20 with free UK p&p (save £5) from guardianbookshop.co.uk or call 0330 333 6846.
The Wimbledon
Rye bread freezes well and toasts directly from frozen. It is wheat – and often yeast – free. Most importantly, the modern rye breads no longer taste of Ukrainian footwear. They are soft and sweet and remarkably moreish.
Makes 2
150g strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 banana, sliced
125g thick yoghurt
4 slices of rye bread, toasted
Honey, for drizzling
1 Toss the sliced strawberries and banana in alittle thick yoghurt. Arrange on yourtoasted slices of rye, then drizzle with honey.
Adapted from Leon: Naturally Fast Food Book 2 by Henry Dimbleby and John Vincent (ConranOctopus). Order a copy for £13 with free UK p&p (save £7) from guardianbookshop.co.uk or call 0330 333 6846.
Beetroot and radish with English mustard dressing
This vegetarian sandwich recipe is packed with a real punch.
Makes 2
4 slices of wholemeal bread
2 small beetroot, cooked al dente and thinly sliced
1 tbsp creme fraiche
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp English mustard, or more to taste
4-5 radishes, very thinly sliced
Salt and blackpepper
Radish leaves
1 Butter four slices of bread and top two with sliced beetroot. Mix the creme fraiche with the mayonnaise, mustard and radishes, then season with salt and pepper.
2 Add a generous spoonful of the radish mixtothe sandwich, top with radish leaves andfinish with a slice of bread. Slice in halfand serve.
Recipe supplied by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, rivercottage.net
Tartine with walnut, lemon and ricotta pesto and sauteed mushrooms
The creamy ricotta mingles well with the earthiness of the mushrooms. With a bowl of warming soup, this open-top sandwich makes for pure bliss.
Makes 4
For the pesto
1 garlic clove
2 tbsp walnuts
15g flat-leaf parsley
Zest of ½ lemon
A pinch of salt
2 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp ricotta cheese
For the mushroom sandwich
1 tbsp olive oil
75g cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
Salt and black pepper
4 slices of country bread
A pinch of nutmeg, freshly grated
30g cheddar cheese, finely grated
1 In the bowl of a food processor, combine the garlic, walnuts, parsley, lemon zest and salt. Pulse the blender until the mixture is finely chopped. Add the oil and continue blending until you obtain a paste. Transfer the pesto to a bowl and combine it with the ricotta, then set aside.
2 In a frying pan, heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and saute until the mushrooms release their juices. Remove from the heat and season with pepper. Turn the grill on to a medium heat.
3 Toast the bread and spread with the pesto‑flavoured ricotta. Top with the mushrooms, nutmeg, and grated cheese. Place the tartines under the grill until the cheese has melted, which takes 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately.
La Tartine Gourmande by Béatrice Peltre (Roost Books).
The Reuben
You may have never heard of a Reuben, but as the croque monsieur is to France, so is the Reuben to New York. They may not be everyone's first choice for a death-row meal, but they'd definitely make a great desert-island sandwich. Here's what goes into it; just balance these ingredients as you like. Try it with thinly sliced pickled onions, too.
Makes 1
Several slices corned or salt beef, such as pastrami
2 slices rye of bread, lightly toasted
Butter, for spreading
American mustard
A big dollop of sauerkraut, warmed after squeezingout the water
A few slices of emmental or Swiss cheese
A dill pickle, sliced
1 Warm the beef through, either under the grill or by placing it in a frying pan over a medium heat with 2 tbsp water.
2 Spread one piece of toast with butter and the other with mustard. Pile the meat on the buttered toast, followed by the sauerkraut, then emmental.
3 Place it under the grill until the cheese has melted, then top with pickle and the other slice of toast. You must cut it in half to see itsinner beauty.
Around the World in 120 Recipes by Allegra McEvedy (Conran Octopus, published in July)
The Padstow deli crab sandwich with parsley, chilli,lemon and rocket
If crab came out of its shell in lovely firm pieces like lobster, it would probably fetch alot more money, because it often has a betterflavour. Fortunately, it's not enormously expensive and it's really good in sandwiches. Fans of seafood will already know that mayonnaise and crab is a great combination, but the addition of a little chilli and some rocket, parsley and salt really takes it in a fantastic new direction. Although the recipe specifies slices of wholemeal bread, it'salso veryspecial in a baguette.
Makes 6
12 thin slices of wholemeal bread
75g butter, softened
5 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp lemon juice
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
500g fresh white crab meat, hand-picked
2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
50g rocket
Salt
1 Butter the slices of bread and put them toone side.
2 Put the mayonnaise into a small bowl and stir in the lemon juice and chopped chilli. Placethe crab meat and parsley into the bowl along with the mayonnaise, and lightly stir the mixture until evenly coated. Season totaste with a little salt.
3 Put six slices of the bread, buttered side up,on a board and spoon over the crab mixture. Cover with a generous layer of the rocket leaves and then top with the remaining slices of bread. Cut each sandwich diagonally into halves or quarters and serve at once.
Rick Stein's Coast to Coast by Rick Stein (BBC Books). Order a copy for £16 with free UK p&p (save £4) from guardianbookshop.co.uk or call 0330 333 6846.
Croque Madame
What a diva of a sandwich this is. Don't be put off by the tourist-trap versions of these that you tend to see near the Gare du Nord in Paris. When done properly at home, a croque madame can be the egg-crowned queen of sandwiches. Treat yourself to good bread and the freshest eggs you can find.
Makes 1
2 large slices of sturdy white bread, such as sourdough
2–3 slices quality cooked ham
50g cheese such as emmental, comté, cheddar, ormozzarella
A pinch of thyme leaves
1 egg
1 large lettuce leaf
1 Set the grill to a high heat. Cut a hole in the centre of one slice of bread. Place both slices under the grill, turning once, until lightly toasted on both sides. Top the complete slice with ham, cheese and a few thyme leaves then return it to the grill, on a low shelf. Keep an eye on it while you make the other side of the sandwich. Allow the cheese to melt, but don't let it burn.
2 Put the other slice in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and crack the egg into the central hole. Use a spatula to push the sides of the bread down so the egg doesn't leak out from underneath.
3 Once the egg is cooked and the cheese has melted, you're ready to construct your croque madame. Top the melted cheese with the lettuce, then carefully slide your egg-filled slice on top.
Kitchen & Co by French & Grace (Kyle Books) . Order a copy for £13.59 with free UK p&p (save £3.40) from guardianbookshop.co.uk or call 0330 333 6846.
Honey-cured bacon, stilton and chocolate sandwich
The best brunch sandwich is a combination of honey-cured bacon, rich dark chocolate andripe, tangy stilton. It's a mouthwatering and satisfying start to the day.
Makes 2
4 thick slices of crusty white bread
Salted butter, for spreading
50g dark chocolate (70%)
6 rashers honey-cured bacon
75g very ripe Stilton
1 Preheat the grill and lightly toast the bread on both sides, then spread with butter. Grate the chocolate on top and return to the grill briefly to melt.
2 Remove and immediately put the bacon under the grill until the edges are crisp and caramelised. Place the bacon on top of the chocolate and finish with a crumbling of stilton. Lay the remaining buttered slice on top and press firmly.
Adventures With Chocolate, by Paul A Young (Kyle Books). Order a copy for £11.99 with free UK p&p (save £3) from guardianbookshop.co.uk or call 0330 333 6846.
