Ingredients:

(Serves 1)

2 x 1-2cm-thick slices of sourdough

Butter

60g cheese, ideally a 50/50 combination of melting and strong, both coarsely grated

20g sliced cured meat or 40g sliced cooked meat (optional)

15g onions, spring onions or leeks, finely sliced

Condiment of choice (optional)

Method:

1. Butter what will become the external sides of each piece of bread. Build the sandwich, with a sprinkle of cheese on the base first, then onions or the meat, followed by the remaining cheese, then add pickles or spread the condiment onto the inside of the top slice, finally pressing that on top.

2. Place a heavy-based frying pan over a low-to-medium heat and allow it to warm up for a minute.

3. Transfer the sandwich to the frying pan and cook very gently, regularly pushing down on the sandwich with a fish slice or palette knife. After two minutes, some but not all of the cheese will have melted, and the base of the bread will be browning. Carefully flip the toastie over and repeat the gentle frying and pressing for two minutes more.

4. Repeat, frying both sides for another two minutes each, so that the cheese and fats are oozing out of the sandwich and the bread is golden and crisp.

5. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for one to two minutes before eating – the centre will be hotter than the sun.

Possible combinations:

l Stilton (or other strong blue), Fontina and kimchi

l 'Nduja, honey and mozzarella

l Cooked ham, raclette, comte and mustard

l Cheddar, Ogleshield, leeks and chutney

l Soft-rind white cheese, turkey and cranberry sauce

l Bresaola, tapenade and Emmental on rye bread

l Fennel salami, Ubriaco (drunken cheese) and dill pickles

l Tallegio, roast peppers, spring onions and chives