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.