Lamb, kimchi and cheese toastie

  • 4
  • 15 minutes plus 3–5 days to ferment and time to cook the lamb if you're not using leftovers

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. 

First published in 2021

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Kimchi

Toastie

  • 8 slices of sourdough bread
  • 240g of leftover slow-cooked lamb, or cooked lamb mince
  • 160g of mild cheddar, ideally mixed with a good melting cheese
  • 4 tbsp of lamb fat, or vegetable oil

Equipment

  • Blender
  • Kilner jar

Method

1

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

2

To make the toasties, preheat an oven to 180℃/gas mark 4

3

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

  • 8 slices of sourdough bread
  • 240g of leftover slow-cooked lamb, or cooked lamb mince
  • 160g of mild cheddar, ideally mixed with a good melting cheese
4

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

First published in 2021

From New Zealand law student to the opening of her first solo sustainable restaurant Apricity (which won a Michelin green star in 2023), Chantelle Nicholson’s hard work and determination – especially in evolving free-from and plant-based cooking at the highest level – has cemented her reputation as one of the UK's most forward-thinking chefs.

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