Pub-Style Toasted Special
Ceapaire Tósta·(cap-ah-ra tohs-tah)
The 9 PM Supper: Late-Night Toasts and Leftovers
Walk into any rural Irish pub at nine p.m., just as the kitchen goes dark, and a polite request might yield this exact masterpiece. The Toasted Special is thick ham, sharp cheddar, a whisper of red onion, and paper-thin tomato, all fused between sturdy slices of supermarket white bread; it is bound by a matrix of melted cheese and pan-fried in a heavy cast-iron skillet with an indecent amount of salted butter until the cheese hisses. Press it flat with a spatula, cut it on the diagonal, and eat it standing up.
Ingredients
- sturdy white sandwich bread4 slices
- salted Irish butter3 tbsp
- mayonnaise or sharp mustard1 tbsp
- sharp white cheddar cheese4 oz
- thick-sliced deli ham4 slices
- red onion1/2 small
- tomato1 med
- kosher salt1 pinch
- cheese and onion potato chips2 small bags
Method
- 01
Prepare the bread.
Lay out the bread slices and generously butter one side of each edge-to-edge to ensure a crispy, golden exterior. If using, spread a very thin layer of mayonnaise or mustard on the unbuttered sides.
- 02
Assemble the cheese glue.
On the unbuttered side of a bottom slice, add a handful of grated cheddar, followed by two slices of ham. The cheese acts as a mortar, binding the bread to the fillings.
- 03
Layer the produce.
Arrange the paper-thin tomato slices and add a tiny pinch of kosher salt to draw out moisture, followed by the red onion. Top with another generous handful of cheddar and the second slice of bread, butter-side facing out.
- 04
Press and toast.
Place the assembled sandwiches in a large skillet over medium-low heat and immediately set a heavy cast-iron pan or weighted plate on top. This compression mimics a pub sandwich press, softening the onions and fusing the ingredients.
- 05
Flip and melt.
Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the bottom is deeply golden and crisp. Remove the weight, carefully flip the sandwiches, replace the weight, and cook another 3 to 4 minutes until the cheese bubbles out the edges.
- 06
Rest and serve.
Remove the sandwiches from the pan and let them sit for exactly one minute so the molten cheese can set. Cut diagonally into triangles and serve immediately with a handful of cheese and onion chips.
Notes
The architecture of cheese glue.
Cheese must be placed on both the top and bottom of the fillings. As it melts, it encapsulates the ham and vegetables, fusing the sandwich together so it doesn't fall apart when bitten.
Mind the bread.
Avoid artisanal sourdough for this application; its large air pockets allow the melting cheese and hot tomato juices to leak out and burn. A tight-crumbed, sturdy white sandwich bread is both authentic and structurally sound.
From Cook Irish-American Food.