Chantelle Nicholson's recipe has everything you want from a toastie; unctuous slow-cooked lamb, a fiery kick from homemade kimchi and (of course) plenty of oozing melted cheese. While you can buy ready-made kimchi it's well worth making your own as you can choose how strong you like it. A 3–5 day ferment will give you a pleasant crunchy and fresh tasting kimchi, whereas a few weeks or even months will give you a much deeper, funkier, complex flavour.
To make the kimchi, place all ingredients apart from the vegetables in a blender and blitz until almost smooth. Add the paste to the vegetables and massage well, until liquid starts to seep out. Place into a jar and leave at room temperature for 3–5 days (depending on how warm it is). Open the jar every day to let built-up gas escape – check for bubbles and taste it on day 3. Refrigerate when it gets to the flavour point you like
To make the toasties, preheat an oven to 180℃/gas mark 4
Place 4 slices of bread on a chopping board. Place a quarter of the lamb on a piece of bread, then top with 50g of the kimchi and a quarter of the grated cheese. Repeat with the other slices, then top with the remaining slices of sourdough and press down well
Heat half of the lamb fat or vegetable oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a moderate heat. Once melted, place two of the toasties into the pan. Brown gently then carefully flip over and brown the other side. Remove and place on a baking tray. Repeat with the remaining fat (or oil) and toasties. Place the baking tray in the oven for 6-8 minutes then serve immediately
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