Cheese on toast is a classic combination. Here, we've given it an exciting twist with Swiss Gruyère cheese and roasted grapes.
Roasting grapes isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of what to do with the juicy fruit. But the combination of Gruyère cheese and toast goes perfectly with roasted grapes. We’ve brought cheese on toast to a new level with the roasted fruit and the North African spice ras el hanout. Combined with the flavourful Swiss cheese it delivers a modern, grown-up take on the every day classic. The grapes not only give flavour and colour (especially if you use red grapes) but are also a good source of vitamin K and antioxidants; they also help keep your heart healthy. Ras el hanout isn’t an every day spice but is a medley of some fragrant flavours such as cardamom, cumin, mace, turmeric and rose petals. All these flavours combined give you an epic cheese on toast.
Ingredients
- 2 handfuls of grapes (we used red), about 100g
- 1tbsp olive oil, plus extra for brushing
- 1tsp ras el hanout
- 1tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 large slices of sourdough bread
- 125g Gruyère cheese, grated
- 1-2 sprigs of thyme
Method
Heat the oven to 200C/Gas 6. Scatter the grapes on to a roasting tray and drizzle with 1tbsp of the olive oil. Toss together with the ras el hanout and vinegar. Roast in the oven for 10-12 mins until the grapes just begin to burst and ooze out their juices.
Meanwhile, brush the sour dough with a little olive oil on both sides and place on a hot griddle pan. Char on one side, then turn over and top with the grapes, Gruyère and a sprig of thyme. Place under the grill until the cheese melts.
Top tip for making Gruyère cheese on toast with roasted grapes
We’ve used Gruyère but any hard cheese will do, such as a strong mature Cheddar.
