Fried cheese toasties with potato, bacon and pickled jalapeños

4 25 mins SERVES READY IN

INGREDIENTS ● 3 MEDIUM WAXY POTATOES, PEELED AND HALVED ● 3TBSP HEAPED BUTTER, SOFTENED, PLUS EXTRA FOR FRYING, IF NEEDED ● 8 SLICES OF GOOD WHITE BREAD (SOURDOUGH IS IDEAL) ● 8 SLICES OF STREAKY BACON ● 250G GRATED CHEDDAR CHEESE ● PICKLED JALAPEÑO CHILLIES, DRAINED, TO TASTE

1 Boil the potatoes in plenty of well-salted water for about 15 mins, until tender. Drain, cool, then cut into 1cm slices.

2 Butter each slice of bread using two-thirds of the butter. Melt the remaining butter in a large frying pan over a moderate heat and add the bacon. Cook for 2 mins on each side, until crisp. Remove from the pan, leaving the fat behind.

3 Assemble the four sandwiches with the buttered sides of the bread on the outside. Evenly distribute the cooked potatoes, cheese and bacon between them, then add the sliced jalapeño chillies according to taste.

4 Using the fat in the pan over a moderate heat, fry the sandwiches in batches, pressing them down to sear – about 2 mins each side, until the bread has taken on a good colour and the cheese has melted sufficiently. (You could use something heavy, such as a pan filled with water, to press the sandwiches down as they cook.) Add more butter to the pan, if needed, between batches. Serve immediately.