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Ayvalık tostu

Ayvalık tostu: the overloaded toastie of Ayvalık, with sucuk, cheese and pickles

Ayvalık, the olive-oil town on the north Aegean, turned the humble cheese toastie into a feast: a long, soft loaf split and stuffed with kaşar, beef sucuk, beef salami, tomatoes and pickles, pressed hot, then opened up again to be piled with ketchup, mayonnaise and Russian salad. It is eaten for breakfast or as a late snack after a swim. This one has beef sausage and salami, so check the label if you avoid pork. Chef's tip: press it twice, once with the cheese and meats, then again after opening it to add the cold toppings, so the bread stays crisp.
Total time
25 min
Difficulty
easy
Serves
2
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Ingredients

Serves2

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Method

0/5 done
  1. Step 1: Fry 2 ⅞ oz beef sucuk (Turkish spiced sausage) in a dry pan over a medium heat for 2 minutes, until cooked through and the fat runs.

    2 min
  2. Step 2: Fill each 2 soft white loaf or long sub roll with 4 oz kaşar or mild cheddar, sucuk and 2 ⅛ oz beef salami. Butter the outsides with ½ oz butter.

  3. Step 3: Press in a sandwich press or under a weighted pan for 4–5 minutes, turning once, until golden and the cheese has melted.

    5 min
  4. Step 4: Open the toasts, add 1 tomato, 2 pickled gherkins and 3 ½ oz Russian salad (potato, pea and carrot mayonnaise salad) and squeeze over 2 tbsp ketchup. Close and press for 30 seconds more. Common mistake: pressing the cold salad in for too long; it goes warm and greasy.

  5. Step 5: Cut in half and serve at once.

Nutrition per serving

Calories
870 kcal
Protein
34 g
Carbs
70 g
Fat
50 g
Fibre
4 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does ayvalık tostu take?
About 25 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?
2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
What can I use instead of kaşar or mild cheddar?
Any hard cheese, same amount.
What can I use instead of tomato?
Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).

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