TRUFFLE & CHEESE TOASTIE

Some of truffle’s favourite food friends are fats, carbohydrates and salt. Creating a moreish toastie with three cheeses – goat’s chevre for spreading , mozzarella for melting and an aged one for tasty saltyness - sandwiched between sourdough bread coated with caramelised leek, is the perfect vehicle to capture the earthy alluring aroma of the truffle. For an extra truffle flavour layer, spread the hot toastie with truffle butter and sprinkle with truffle sea salt.  

makes 2 generously filled toasties 

60g Blue Bay or Main Ridge Dairy chevre 

7-8g fresh truffle 

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 

20g unsalted butter 

1 small leek, white section finely chopped, green top reserved for another use 

2 tablespoon Sally’s verjuice, or white wine 

Red Hill Truffles or Flinders Truffle sea salt (or use plain sea salt flakes), for seasoning  

Black pepper 

4 slices Tuerong Farm country sourdough (about 15mm thick), or a favourite high tin sourdough

70g Main Ridge Dairy Caprino, coarsely grated 

1 tablespoon finely chopped flat leaf parsley 

60g Blue Bay mozzarella, coarsely grated 

2 teaspoons Red Hill Truffles butter (optional) 

Prepare the truffled chevre at least an hour before preparing the toasties, or up to a day beforehand. Place the chevre in a small bowl. Using a micro-plane finely grate a heaped tablespoon of fresh truffle (loose and lightly piled up) over the chevre. Stir the truffle through to combine, then cover to seal well and place in the fridge. The truffle aroma will infuse into the chevre. 

Heat the olive oil and butter in a small frying pan over a medium heat. Add the leek and reduce heat to low-medium and cook for 15 minutes until very soft, stirring occasionally.  Increase the heat to medium-high, add the verjuice, or wine and bring to a simmer. Cook until liquid has almost evaporated, about 2 minutes, without letting the leeks brown or catch on the base of pan. Season with a grinding of black pepper and sprinkle of sea salt and set aside. 

Have ready an electric sandwich press lined with two sheets of baking paper, or a heavy based frying pan to fit two sandwiches side by side.  

To assemble each toastie sandwich, take two bread slices and spread half the truffled chevre mixture over one side of each slice. Divide the grated cheeses and pile evenly over the chevre layer. Take the remaining two bread slices and spread half the leek mixture over one side of each slice and sprinkle over the parsley. Finely grate some remaining truffle over the grated cheese. Invert the leek covered slice on top of the cheese coated slice.  

Transfer sandwiches to the preheated sandwich press in between the baking paper sheets, or a preheated frying pan over a medium heat.  

Cook the toastie for 5 minutes in the sandwich press until dark golden brown and cheese has melted. If using a frying pan, cook sandwich for 2 minutes on each side until dark golden brown and cheese has melted. Transfer the sandwiches to a serving board. Quickly spread the top with some truffled butter, if using. Sprinkle with sea salt and a fine grating of truffle, if desired. Serve immediately.

Recipe by Fiona Hammond, June 2025