Bolognaise Jaffels with Cheese and Tomato
Bolognaise, melted cheddar and fresh tomato sealed inside buttered bread and toasted in a jaffle iron over coals or a gas burner. A South African childhood in every bite.
The jaffle iron is one of those pieces of kit that every South African household owned and every South African kid remembers. It lived in the camping bag, came out at the braai, and produced the kind of toasted sandwich that a regular sandwich press simply cannot replicate. The sealed edges, the crispy outside, the slightly too-hot filling that burns the roof of your mouth because you couldn't wait. Jaffels are a rite of passage. In Dubai you can pick up a jaffle iron at ACE Hardware or order one online, and the rest of the ingredients are standard Spinneys and Carrefour. This is the kind of recipe that makes Saffa kids feel at home anywhere in the world.
Ingredients
- 250 g beef mince
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 15 ml tomato paste
- 125 ml passata or tinned chopped tomatoes
- 5 ml dried mixed herbs
- salt and pepper to taste
- 15 ml oil for frying
- 8 slices white bread
- butter, softened
- 250 ml grated cheddar cheese
- 1 ripe tomato, sliced
- non-stick cooking spray
Method
- Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Fry the onion until soft, then add the garlic and cook for a minute.
- Add the mince and brown well, breaking it up as it cooks.
- Stir in the tomato paste, passata and dried herbs. Season with salt and pepper.
- Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the sauce is thick and rich. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Butter one side of each slice of bread.
- Place 4 slices butter-side down. Spoon 15-30 ml of bolognaise onto each, then add 30 ml grated cheese and a slice of tomato. Season lightly.
- Top with the remaining bread slices, butter-side up.
- Spray the inside of the jaffle iron with non-stick spray. Clamp each sandwich in and trim the crusts around the iron.
- Cook over medium coals or a gentle gas burner for 3-4 minutes per side until golden and toasted all over.
- Leave to cool for a minute before eating, the filling will be very hot.
Notes
Method
Bolognaise
- Fry onion in oil until soft. Add garlic, cook for a minute.
- Add mince and brown well.
- Stir in tomato paste, passata and herbs. Season. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until thick. Cool slightly.
Jaffels
- Butter one side of each bread slice.
- Place 4 slices butter-side down. Add 15-30 ml bolognaise, 30 ml grated cheese and a tomato slice. Season.
- Top with remaining bread, butter-side up.
- Spray jaffle iron with non-stick spray. Clamp each sandwich in and trim the crusts.
- Cook over medium coals or a gas burner for 3-4 minutes per side until golden.
- Rest for a minute before eating. The filling will be very hot.
Leftover bolognaise keeps in the fridge for 3 days or in the freezer for 3 months. Make a double batch and use the rest on pasta. No jaffle iron? A sandwich press works, though the sealed edges are part of the experience. Jaffle irons are available at ACE Hardware in the UAE.