Few things elevate simple, beautiful ingredients like a proper cheese toastie. Our Reuby toastie is a homage to the classic Rueben sandwich and heroes our partners Eaten Alive’s famous ferments. We think it’s hard to beat. If you share our sentiment, keep this Reuby Toastie recipe close by when you’re a little further afield from your local GAIL’s bakery.
Origins of the Reuben Sandwich
There are tales as tall as the Reuben sandwich itself when it comes to this sandwich’s origin. Though one thing is certain, it gained national acclaim after winning the National Sandwich Idea Contest in 1956 (sadly a discontinued event).
The recipe as we know it today hasn’t changed much since the 1956 recipe, which consisted of rye bread, Russian dressing, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and corned beef. Here are a few notes on the ingredients you’ll find in our Reuby toastie recipe:
Reuby Toastie recipe ingredients
The humble toastie is equal parts simple and satisfying, providing comfort when you need it most. Where possible, it really is worth treating yourself to the finest ingredients when assembling a sandwich like the Reuby toastie.
Reuby Toastie: Bread
This recipe uses our GAIL’s dark sourdough, made with wheat and wholemeal flours. A dark, chewy, bitter-sweet crust, and tight, tacky crumb deliver a complex, wholesome flavour that make it the perfect platform for a toastie.
Reuby Toastie: Cheese
Buchanans Cheesemonger are responsible for maturing around 100 classic and contemporary cheeses that they carefully select from producers across the UK and Europe. For over ten years, they have supplied GAIL’s with the very finest fromage.
The choice for this toastie is the semi-hard Mayfield Swiss cheese. It has a creamy, sweet, nutty flavour that holds its own against the other flavours in this sandwich. If you can’t get your hands on any, Emmental makes for a suitable substitute.
Reuby Toastie: Sauerkraut
The inclusion of Eaten Alive’s sauerkraut is non-negotiable for us when it comes to the Reuby Toastie. Their krauts are made with crunchy white British cabbages, which mellow through the fermentation process but still have a satisfying bite. A tangy sauerkraut with a touch of carrot and mustard, this adds the all-important crunch to each mouthful.
Reuby Toastie: Pastrami
Our search for the best locally-produced pastrami brought us together with the exceptional Chapel & Swan, a traditional brick kiln smokehouse who supply some of the country's top restaurants.
Founders Chris and Kirstan have been curing and smoking artisan specialties since 2004. Having built their first smokehouse, they now run two smokehouses in the village of Exning, Suffolk, which are run by a specially trained team of just seven people.
They take the finest brisket and brine it with aromatics, salt and sugar for five days, before slowly cooking in the hot kiln for 12 hours. The result, melt in the mouth pastrami.
Reuby Toastie: Russian dressing
Once the condiment of choice in a Reuben sandwich, Russian dressing has lost favour over the years to the sweeter, milder Thousand Island dressing. Ever the traditionalists, however, we’re proud to have created our own Russian dressing to use in our Reuby Toastie recipe that is creamy, slightly spicy and ever so moorish. It is made with a perfectly balanced blend of homemade chilli aioli, pickled cucumbers, tomato paste, horseradish, Dijon mustard and fresh lemon juice.
Reuby Toastie Recipe
This recipe serves one.
You’ll need:
- 2 slices of GAIL’s dark sourdough
- Butter
- Sliced pastrami
- Swiss cheese
- Russian dressing (you can use Thousand Island too)
- Eaten Alive’s Classic Kraut
Reuby Toastie Method:
- Butter the outside of each slice of bread.
- Add Russian dressing to the unbuttered side of a slice, top with pastrami, and then add a generous layer of sauerkraut. Then repeat a second layer of Russian dressing and top with slices of Swiss cheese.
- Add your second slice of bread, butter side up and pop the sandwich into your toastie press or bag. Remember, your buttered sides should be facing out.
- Cook for the recommended time, then carefully remove and leave to cool slightly before slicing in half.
- Serve with your choice of pickles, hot sauce or ketchup on the side.
Of course there are days when you would rather settle into a warm nook, get lost in a good book and have someone else bring a worthy lunch companion to your table. For those days, and every other day, your local GAIL’s bakery will be there to welcome you with a Reuby toastie. For this is a toastie worth taking time over.