The ultimate brunch toastie to go with your Bloody Mary

Bloody Mary is one of the few savory cocktails—and certainly the most famous. Because it’s so easy to make, for sure. But above all because Bloody Mary is very, very delicious and you can eat fantastically well with it. In the US, it’s the number one brunch cocktail.

So make that Bloody Mary and brace yourself for perhaps the most delicious toastie you’ve eaten in ages. It comes with Camembert, oven-dried tomatoes and fresh basil pesto.

TIP spread some mayonnaise on the toastie. This gives it a beautiful color and an even creamier and crispier taste.

Method

• Preheat the oven to 130 °C. Cut the tomatoes into thick slices and place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Divide the salt, sugar and olive oil over the tomatoes and roast them for two hours.
• After two hours, remove the tomatoes from the oven and leave them to cool.
• Make the pesto by putting the basil, cheese, pine nuts, olive oil and pepper in a blender or food processor. Taste and add more salt to taste, if needed.
• Now make the toastie and spread one side of the slice of bread with mayonnaise (this will later be the outside of the toastie). Spread the other side with pesto, add plenty of cheese and finish with some pesto and 2 or 3 slices of tomato. Place the other slice of bread on the toastie and spread this side with mayonnaise too. Fry the toasties in a pan until both sides of the bread are beautifully golden brown and the cheese has melted. Remove the toasties from the pan and serve immediately.

With thanks to Het grote Bloody Mary boek.

Photography and food styling: Paola Holthausen.