Max Halley loves an occasion. “Anything that brings people together for fun – football, food, music – is wonderful!” he says, and this year’s World Cup certainly qualifies as an occasion. From 11 June until 19 July, the tournament will, for the first time, be played across three countries, feature more teams than ever before, and will encompass 104 matches.
Last year, Max re-created the famous “Italian beef” sandwich from hit drama The Bear for Radio Times. So we asked the sandwich king, whose shop in Crouch Hill, north London, is an institution, if he could create a sandwich for supporters of the England and Scotland teams. In the interest of balance, RT has teamed Max (English, a descendent of 18th- century astronomer and comet discoverer, Edmond) with me (a Scot and the grandson of 20th-century bricklayer, Bill).
“Everything that happens today is a loose interpretation of the cultural and gastronomic history of the countries involved,” Halley says with a broad smile, as he runs through the ingredients for the sandwich to eat while watching England play Croatia in Dallas: a hot dog with herby chilli, truffled mustard and pickled onions with a Texan citrus slaw.
“These sandwiches are about what’s possible and what’s doable at home,” Halley says. “Rather than pickling my own onions, these are from a jar. Anything that only takes a bit of prep is easier, because you don’t want to be telling people who want a snack to do all these elaborate, cheffy things.”
Cooking isn’t an art, Halley maintains, as he cuts open the toastie he’s made to mark Scotland playing Morocco in Boston. “It’s more like engineering. Forces applied to a series of materials, with good or bad results.”
Regardless of how well Scotland do at the World Cup – they haven’t made it to the finals since 1998 and have never made it past the group stage – the results of Halley’s combination of haggis, that most Scottish of foodstuffs, with tagine mayo and barbecued beans aren’t just good, they’re champion. Also oozing with scamorza cheese, this ScoMoBo combo is evidence of another of Halley’s foundational beliefs about food: “I have always been interested in deliciousness and a lot of deliciousness is about contrasts.
“It’s why sweet and sour go together so well, why fatty foods are complemented by something acidic, and something soft with something crunchy is wonderful. Eat a ball of vanilla ice cream and then eat a ball of vanilla ice cream sprinkled with crushed cornflakes and tell me which is the more enjoyable process.”
Halley, who has just written an entire book dedicated to sausages, says, “I tend to make my decisions based on what sounds like the most fun, the most delicious, the most exciting.” Even in a business as precarious and fraught as hospitality when everyone has an opinion on your work? “If you listened to all the suggestions that people gave you, your venture would be a disaster. I follow my gut.” Scotland’s footballers, take note.
Bend Down and Tuchel Your ToesEngland meet Croatia in Dallas
Per hot dog
1 frankfurter of your choosing (boiled in water until hot through – remember, they come cooked)1 hot dog bun1 tbsp American mustard mixed with 1 tbsp of the best truffle oil you can find4 heaped tbsp chilli (I made a herby green chilli with some sausagemeat, see recipe below), warmed up in a pan1 heaped tbsp of finely chopped dill pickle and raw onion mixed together1 tbsp crushed salt and vinegar crisps1 ramekin Garlic Citrus Slaw (optional, but wonderful on the side, see recipe below)Cut a ‘v’-shaped valley down the middle of the top of the hot dog bun and place the hot sausage in it. Cover the sausage in the chilli and drizzle the truffle mustard all over it. Sprinkle the chopped onion and dill pickle all over that and finish with a hefty sprinkle of the crushed salt and vinegar crisps. Wolf it down with intermittent forkfuls of the slaw. Result: Happiness.
Green Chilli
(Taken from Max’s Picnic Book by Max Halley and Ben Benton)
This makes much more than you need; have it on rice for dinner the next day.
500g sausagemeat3 tbsp olive oil1 medium onion, peeled and coarsely chopped2 green peppers, stalk, pith and seeds removed, chopped the same size as the onion2 large garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped6 green chillies, stems removed, finely chopped (seeds and pith removed, too, if you like it less hot than I do)1 tsp dried oregano50g mint, leaves removed, stalks discarded, finely chopped50g coriander, stalks and all, finely chopped50g parsley, stalks and all, finely chopped2 large tomatoes, cores removed, chopped the same size as the onion and peppers40ml white wine vinegarBrown the sausagemeat in the olive oil in a large pan on a medium heat for 15-20 minutes, chopping at it with a spatula. If it started as rocks, it should finish as gravel. Add the onion, peppers and garlic and increase the heat. Brown the veg, stirring regularly until it softens and colours a bit.
There will be meat and veg stuck to the bottom of the pan. Don’t let it actually burn, but a deep brown is good. Add all the dried and fresh herbs and stir to combine. Add the tomatoes and their juices and stir to combine. Add the vinegar and, you guessed it, stir to combine.
Bring to the boil, turn the heat down and let it blip away, stirring often, for 45 minutes. It will be quite dry, this is good. Try some. If it needs salt, add some. You’re done.
Garlic Citrus Slaw
This makes much more than you need, and needs to spend a night in the fridge before eating. Have it as a salad with other things, too!
500g very, very thinly sliced white cabbage 3 peeled medium carrots, cut into julienne or grated1 small onion, peeled and very, very finely slicedHalf a red and half a yellow pepper, green bits and pith discarded, very finely sliced2 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped and mashed into a paste with some salt, using the side of a knife on a chopping board1 tsp salt60ml fresh lime juice30ml white wine vinegar75ml olive oil10g coriander, leaves picked, stalks finely chopped (not needed until day two)Put the lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and vinegar into a bowl and whisk well to combine. Pour over the cabbage, peppers, carrot, onion and garlic and mash together with your hands. Put in the fridge until tomorrow. Just before eating, mix the coriander through.
England v Croatia, Wednesday ITV1/STV, k/o 9pm. Max will be selling this hot dog on matchday at his shop – check his Instagram page for details
The Hit the Postie ToastieScotland meet Morocco in Boston
Per sandwich
2 medium to thick slices of sourdough bread 120g coarsely grated scamorza (or other good melting, ideally smoked cheese)4 heaped tbsp Tagine spiced mayo (see recipe below) 2 tbsp plain mayo100g jarred white beans mixed with 3 tbsp barbecue sauce (see recipe below ), boiled in a pan to thicken and set aside to cool50g (drained weight) pickled silverskin onions, sliced100g haggis (cooked accordingto the packet instructions)Tagine Spiced Mayo
8 tbsp mayonnaise1 tbsp olive oilHalf a roasted pepper froma jar½ tsp each of ground ginger and ground cumin¼ tsp each of ground coriander, ground turmeric, ground black pepper, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg and ground cayenne (Or use 2 tbsp of harissa paste – it’s Tunisian, but used in Morocco – instead of all the spices)Simply blend all the ingredients together.
Barbecue Sauce
The recipe is based on the one in Aaron Franklin’s Franklin Barbecue book. It makes much more than you need, but it’s so good.
250ml ketchup60ml cider vinegar60ml white wine vinegar2 heaped tbsp dark brown sugar1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce1 tbsp ground cumin1 tsp salt1 tsp freshly ground black pepperMix all the ingredients together, warm up in a pan, whisking to dissolve the sugar, and set aside to cool.
To prepare the sandwich, slather the spiced mayo on both slices of bread all the way to the edges – these are the insides of your sandwich. In even layers, sprinkle the grated cheese overthe mayo on both slices of bread. Spread the haggis over one of those, followed by the pickled onions and lastly the beans. Put the other slice – the lid – on and give everything a gentle squish.
Put a frying pan big enough to hold the whole sandwich on a low to medium heat. Spread half the plain mayo all over the top of the sandwich and put it into the frying pan mayo side down. Press the sandwich down with a weight. Cook the sandwich slowly until the bottom is golden brown and glorious. Slather the remaining plain mayo on the top of the sandwich and flip it over. Don’t rush this stage! Cook the sandwich slowly so that the cheese melts and everything inside gets hot without burning the bread – this might take up to five minutes a side.
Cut the sandwich in half, crack a beer and get stuck in.
Haiti v Scotland BBC One, kick-off 2am Sunday morning; Scotland v Morocco Friday ITV1/STV, kick-off 11pm.
Cooking with Sausages by Max Halley is available to buy now
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