How you can cook up a bit of ‘Slap and Pickle’ courtesy of Simon Wood

MASTERCHEF winner Simon Wood has already provided Correspondent readers with some kitchen inspiration with his recipe of the month.

Now he is going to turn the heat up.

Valentine’s Day may have passed but we are still in the season of love. So why not indulge in some ‘Slap and Pickle’?

Well actually, it is Slap and Pickle jalapeño grilled cheese with Devils Tongue Hot Sauce and signature triple cheese.

And given there is still a chill in the air, it is the perfect way to warm up for the end of winter.

INGREDIENTS

120ml Millstone ale

30g unsalted butter

30g plain flour

40g egg yolk

300g mature cheddar, grated

20g Dijon mustard

Two tablespoons of Worcestershire Sauce

Two slices of bread of your choice

Aleppo chilli flakes

Jalapeño peppers

Sour cream

1 red chilli, de-seeded and sliced

Fresh coriander, chopped

Hot sauce (Simon used his Devil’s Tongue Hot Sauce)

INGREDIENTS FOR THE SAUCE

220g yellow chillies

100g carrot, peeled

100g white onion

50g garlic

1 tablespoon ground ginger

100ml oz rapeseed oil

300ml apple cider vinegar

50ml lime juice

200g golden caster sugar

20g sea salt

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

METHOD

GENTLY warm the beer in a small saucepan gently warm the beer – Simon used Millstone but you can use any beer you like, heat and then set aside.

Place a saucepan and over a medium heat melt the butter until it begins to foam and then add the flour and stir everything together, cook for three minutes.

Whisk in the warm ale in three stages to create a thick sauce then whisk through the cheese to create a thick paste.

Stir the Yolks, Dijon mustard and Worcestershire Sauce through the cheese mix.

Next, heat your grill to its highest setting. Place the slices of bread on a flat baking sheet and grill on one side until golden brown.

Flip the bread over and spread each one with the cheese mixture before placing back under the grill and cook for a further one to two minutes or until golden brown and bubbling.

Garnish to your taste with the remaining ingredients and serve.

METHOD FOR THE HOT SAUCE

ALWAYS wear gloves when preparing chillies. Once you have removed them, wash your hands a couple of times before touching anything else.

Put on your gloves and remove the green stalks from the chillies.

Put the chillies, carrot, onion, garlic and ginger into a food processor and blend.

Heat the rapeseed oil in a saucepan on a medium heat, then add the blended ingredients.

Cook for five minutes, then add all the remaining ingredients along with 200ml of water. Reduce the liquid by half on a high heat.

Once the volume of sauce has halved, turn the heat down low and cook for 30 minutes, stirring regularly.

Leave the sauce to cool for 10 minutes, then if the mixture is a little thick add a touch more water. Transfer the sauce back into the food processor and blend for 8-10 minutes.

For a smoother sauce, press the blended mixture through a sieve. You can store the hot sauce in the fridge for up to two months.