Bacon rarebit with apple chutney

James whips up a quick chutney to make a meal of cheese on toast.

Ingredients

For the chutney

• 150g/5½oz soft light brown sugar
• 100g/3½oz sultanas
• 125ml/4½fl oz malt vinegar
• 2 eating apples, cored and roughly chopped
• 3 tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 onion, finely chopped

For the rarebit

• 8 slices dry-cured back bacon
• 350g/12oz mature cheddar cheese, grated
• 50ml/2fl oz beer
• 1 tsp English mustard
• 3-4 dashes Tabasco sauce
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 slices thickly sliced white bread

Preparation method

1. For the chutney, heat a large frying pan until hot. Add the brown sugar and sultanas and heat until the sugar is just melting. Add the vinegar and cook until totally dissolved and starting to caramelise.

2. Stir in the apples, tomatoes and onion and cook for 10 minutes, or until the apple is tender and the mixture thickened. Remove from the heat and decant into a sterilised jar.

3. For the rarebit, preheat the grill to high.

4. Place the bacon onto an oven tray and grill for 4-6 minutes, or until golden-brown at the edges and just cooked through.

5. Place the cheese and beer in a frying pan and heat gently until the cheese is melted, bubbling and smooth, then stir in the mustard, Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce. Stir in the flour and cook until just thickened. Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper.

6. Meanwhile, toast the bread on each side and then lay in an ovenproof dish. Top with two pieces of the cooked bacon and spoon the rarebit mixture over the top.

7. Grill for 2-3 minutes, or until the topping is golden-brown and bubbling. Serve with a dollop of chutney.