The Perfect Cheese Toastie

Did you know it was British Cheese Week? I didn't, which is unusual because I'm interested in both cheese and periods of time devoted to food. Well.

In honour of the week now rapidly drawing to a close, I feel I should mention something cheese related, and I can't think of anything more appropriate than the Best Cheese Toastie of all time, knowledge of which is mine and mine alone.

I have very strong memories of 'exam time' in school and college. It meant a disruption to routine that felt exhilarating as we stayed home without having to fake anything. Suddenly I was on my own for extended periods, making a lunch that didn't need to be packed. It could be anything! I may have gone slightly mad with the possibilities. Eventually I got into the habit of making myself a cheese toastie everyday, but I would not be satisfied with just any cheese toastie. With the dedication and rigorous experimentation of someone who should be spending their time revising, I slowly built up a quantity of data that could be used to create something magnificent. I tried different types of cheese, in different combinations, with different accompaniments. I was very thorough. Although I started 'experimenting' at school (heh), I continued my toastie project in the summers that followed.

After a lot of hard work you'll be glad to know that my efforts paid off, and I now know exactly how to make the best of all cheese toasties. First a few notes to bear in mind when constructing your own toastie:

- Don't waste my time with brown bread. White only.
- Consider both the taste and texture of your cheese, as you do want it to melt properly. I found combining two types gets the best results.
- Any additional condiments should be low in water, but high in flavour. For example, sundried tomatoes are fine, but fresh tomatoes have too much water and turn into soggy, scalding hot distractions.
- Making a filling of cheese sauce with ham as 'a twist on a classic croque monsieur' is a lovely idea in theory, but don't do it.

And now the final recipe *drumroll*

2 slices white bread. Cheap supermarket bread works best in this context.
A few slices of Wensleydale
A little ripped buffalo mozzarella (OK, so it's not British. Whatevs.)
4 basil leaves.

Butter the bread, and place one slice in the toastie maker butter side down, in the traditional style. Put a basil leaf in each corner of the slice, and lay on the slices of Wensleydale. Sprinkle the ripped mozzarella evenly over the top. Top with the second slice of bread, and your sandwich is complete. Close the toastie maker and cook according to instructions.

The mozzarella provides excellent stringyness, while the Wensleydale remains crumbly, salty and flavourful. The basil leaves are the perfect addition as they provide flavour without interfering with the cheese consistency. This is the perfect toastie. You can't argue. The data doesn't lie.