August 21, 2024 • 6 mins
Rich Johns out of Okere Falls Store, Cafe & Craft Beer Garden, just outside Rotorua to chat his winning toastie formula for 'Figgy in the Middle'.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Yes, A Rotor Ruer Cafe is taking out the title
New Zealan's Top Toasted Sandwich for twenty twenty four, joining
us now as the chef, the man with the creation
a rich John's Good morning, Rich, how are you?
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Yeah, hey mate, how are you doing.
Speaker 3 (00:13):
I'm good.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
I've seen a fighter of your toasty and I need
you to explain it to our lists. But well, congratulations
on winning, I think for the second time New Zealan's
Top Toasty.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
But tell us what are the ingredients?
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Because when we walk out of the studio this morning,
I'm getting hungry, I might go get a toasty.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Well, this one's actually got ten ingredients and then including
the bread, so it's pretty full on.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
Right, Run through it, Run through it if you can
remember it.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
So yeah, it starts with the Steltz soado that we
buttered that up, and then it's got a layer of
Swiss cheese and then it's got a pickle cream cheese
whip and that. Then it has walnuts, it has crispy
streaky bacon, it's got blue cheese, it's got pickles, it's
(00:58):
got chili, honey, it's got rocket Oh my blue cheese.
I think I even said that, and then we toasted
up and then we grate some like fresh parmesan over
the top of that.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Oh gee, I'm watering. So I mean, obviously combinations are
the key. I'm thinking of the simple you know, cheese,
ham and a little bit of mustard sauce. But how
do you what gives you the what gives you the
inspiration to put.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
All that together?
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Well, this songe actually came from a trip to Italy
that we took over summer where we were just We're
eating all these different cheeses and that over there, and
it's just yeah, so it's kind of got inspired by that,
but it's yeah, it's kind of pretty much like a
cheeseboard and the sandwich.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Really do you have to taste because obviously you need
to know that combinations work.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Yeah, definitely, And like all those kind of flavors, they
all kind of work well together. So once you sort
of jam them all into the sandwich, it actually, yeah,
it sounds like a lot, but each flavor like you
can pull out individually as well. Yeah, well you have it,
but nothing really overpowers either.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
So how important is it when it comes to the
toasting side of it? Like, you know, how important is
it to get that right?
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Oh, definitely, the more ingredients you've got in there, the
sturdier you need your actual sandwich to be.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Special press.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Yeah, look at it. We're got a sandwich press that
it'll hold eight of them, which isn't going to be
enough for what's coming this weekend.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
And hopefully a few more after this.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
So I mean when it comes yeah, i mean, I'm
just thinking I do made me hungry, that's the worst
thing about it.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
I Mean, you've got there's a lot of ingredients. There's
a lot of ingredients.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
So when it comes to also maybe stripping it back,
are there other ones that you like to do that
you think you know they're not too bad as well?
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Oh definitely. Like one of our most popular sandwiches on
the menu is just the simple grilled cheese Tasty and
that's just that's got Swiss cheese, mozzarella cheese, and cheddar
and it's between some but sodo with a little sprinkle
of flaky salt on the top and it's yeah, it's
pretty much spot on. A little side of relish to
dip it in the sourdough.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
You've mentioned that is that the key the breed is
that the best breed to use a toasty.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Yeah, yeah, the soda has quite got quite a lot
of structure to it, and it toasts up really nicely,
but it still says like soft inside the sandwich. Ye,
you just got to be careful that it's not too
stale because then your crust will be too hard.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Right, I'm going through when I make a toasty, or
the things that I think about when I make a
toasty that you can help us as well, because you know.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
A lot of us have to we make some our owd.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Do you believe in when you've got the sourd oat,
you've got it in the toast? Do you believe in
buttering the you know, the bread either side to help
with the crispiness.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Just the outside.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Yeah, yeah, so that's crucial.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Bottom outside, Yep, crucial. You can spread mail on it
or whatever, but a butter works best. It camelizes up
real nicely.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
Right any other two.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Definitely like sprinkle a little bit of like salt on
the outside of the bread after it's been toasted. Not
not a lot, just a little tiny bit and you
get this nice, real sort of like salty mystic kind
of goes through it and it just enhances the cheese
up a little more.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
That's a good tip. That's something like that.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
It's a good tip.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
Yeah, there's something.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
I mean, I've done it when I've made a little
bit of bread and put a bit of oil on
the pain.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
But I'm making it sound like I'm a sheep. Yeah,
I'm not rich. I can tell you that.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
I can certain So if you call into your cafe,
I mean, I suppose I'm glad to ask.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
What does a toast you like that cost?
Speaker 2 (04:36):
That's twenty dollars that one.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
But it's a meal in itself. If you see the phone, Yeah, yeah, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
A lot of people get it. They'll splitters in half,
they have half each. Yeah, and it's pretty filling. It's
the bread's massive. It's a massive piece of bread.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
Yeah, it's not a tiny new one. And I'll come
back at home now that's cool.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
Well, I'm sure you're going to be busy. So there's
pressure on now? Is that two in a row you've won?
Speaker 2 (05:00):
I know, we won twenty twenty two, then we made
the finals twenty twenty three, but we played it safe
and then this year we went all out and yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
So there's pressure on again. Are you going to have
to go overseas again to get some more inspiration.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Nah. Nah, Yeah, we're going to enter the one that
we were going to enter this year until we decided
to change it up. I think it'll be at the
moment that's not on the menu.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Well, we look forward to that. We congratulations. Oh well,
I'll tell you what.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
I don't know when I'm going to be up around
your way because I'm in Dunedin, but I can tell
you if I am, if I do any cricket commentary
and I'm driving around, I'm calling.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
Him for one of those toasties.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Congratulations, We definitely cheers mate, Thank you and.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Thanks for join us this morning.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Be Rich, there we go, Rich John yet one of
these Jillain's top toasty. I should tell you the cafe
actually at Curdie Falls Store caf and craft Beer Garden.
So there we go. Just google it and find out
we're we just get along. Seriously, if you go on
the end of you can see the photo of this toasty.
It is simply wow. It's a meal within a sandwich.
(06:07):
But I was actually just saying to Libby before last
week I was in said to your target, I don't
I forgot time, but I'll tell you.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
I was driving along with my wife and I said,
I feel like a tasty.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
I really feel like a tasty for some reason. And
then literally I was going around the back way in
the industrial sort of area in Wonnica, in the new part,
and there's a caravan sitting right there with coffee and toasties.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
It was like it was a little bit like going
to your phone when we talk about something and then
on Facebook and all that. Now it starts popping up
on your reels. There it was, and it was and
I got just a simple cheese, ham and mustard and
it was outstanding. So if you just go past with
the new new Wielders and Wanderer, if you're down around
that way, just follow the road around and you'll see
a caravan there. I don't have the name of it,
so that's why I'm not plugging it. But lovely coffee
(06:48):
but also wonderful toasties and the bread was outstanding. So
if you're around that way, there we go pollen. So
you head it on the Country Sport Breakfast
Yes, A Rotor Ruer Cafe is taking out the title
New Zealan's Top Toasted Sandwich for twenty twenty four, joining
us now as the chef, the man with the creation
a rich John's Good morning, Rich, how are you?
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Yeah, hey mate, how are you doing.
Speaker 3 (00:13):
I'm good.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
I've seen a fighter of your toasty and I need
you to explain it to our lists. But well, congratulations
on winning, I think for the second time New Zealan's
Top Toasty.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
But tell us what are the ingredients?
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Because when we walk out of the studio this morning,
I'm getting hungry, I might go get a toasty.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Well, this one's actually got ten ingredients and then including
the bread, so it's pretty full on.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
Right, Run through it, Run through it if you can
remember it.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
So yeah, it starts with the Steltz soado that we
buttered that up, and then it's got a layer of
Swiss cheese and then it's got a pickle cream cheese
whip and that. Then it has walnuts, it has crispy
streaky bacon, it's got blue cheese, it's got pickles, it's
(00:58):
got chili, honey, it's got rocket Oh my blue cheese.
I think I even said that, and then we toasted
up and then we grate some like fresh parmesan over
the top of that.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Oh gee, I'm watering. So I mean, obviously combinations are
the key. I'm thinking of the simple you know, cheese,
ham and a little bit of mustard sauce. But how
do you what gives you the what gives you the
inspiration to put.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
All that together?
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Well, this songe actually came from a trip to Italy
that we took over summer where we were just We're
eating all these different cheeses and that over there, and
it's just yeah, so it's kind of got inspired by that,
but it's yeah, it's kind of pretty much like a
cheeseboard and the sandwich.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Really do you have to taste because obviously you need
to know that combinations work.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Yeah, definitely, And like all those kind of flavors, they
all kind of work well together. So once you sort
of jam them all into the sandwich, it actually, yeah,
it sounds like a lot, but each flavor like you
can pull out individually as well. Yeah, well you have it,
but nothing really overpowers either.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
So how important is it when it comes to the
toasting side of it? Like, you know, how important is
it to get that right?
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Oh, definitely, the more ingredients you've got in there, the
sturdier you need your actual sandwich to be.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Special press.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Yeah, look at it. We're got a sandwich press that
it'll hold eight of them, which isn't going to be
enough for what's coming this weekend.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
And hopefully a few more after this.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
So I mean when it comes yeah, i mean, I'm
just thinking I do made me hungry, that's the worst
thing about it.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
I Mean, you've got there's a lot of ingredients. There's
a lot of ingredients.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
So when it comes to also maybe stripping it back,
are there other ones that you like to do that
you think you know they're not too bad as well?
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Oh definitely. Like one of our most popular sandwiches on
the menu is just the simple grilled cheese Tasty and
that's just that's got Swiss cheese, mozzarella cheese, and cheddar
and it's between some but sodo with a little sprinkle
of flaky salt on the top and it's yeah, it's
pretty much spot on. A little side of relish to
dip it in the sourdough.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
You've mentioned that is that the key the breed is
that the best breed to use a toasty.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Yeah, yeah, the soda has quite got quite a lot
of structure to it, and it toasts up really nicely,
but it still says like soft inside the sandwich. Ye,
you just got to be careful that it's not too
stale because then your crust will be too hard.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Right, I'm going through when I make a toasty, or
the things that I think about when I make a
toasty that you can help us as well, because you know.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
A lot of us have to we make some our owd.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Do you believe in when you've got the sourd oat,
you've got it in the toast? Do you believe in
buttering the you know, the bread either side to help
with the crispiness.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Just the outside.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Yeah, yeah, so that's crucial.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Bottom outside, Yep, crucial. You can spread mail on it
or whatever, but a butter works best. It camelizes up
real nicely.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
Right any other two.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Definitely like sprinkle a little bit of like salt on
the outside of the bread after it's been toasted. Not
not a lot, just a little tiny bit and you
get this nice, real sort of like salty mystic kind
of goes through it and it just enhances the cheese
up a little more.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
That's a good tip. That's something like that.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
It's a good tip.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
Yeah, there's something.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
I mean, I've done it when I've made a little
bit of bread and put a bit of oil on
the pain.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
But I'm making it sound like I'm a sheep. Yeah,
I'm not rich. I can tell you that.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
I can certain So if you call into your cafe,
I mean, I suppose I'm glad to ask.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
What does a toast you like that cost?
Speaker 2 (04:36):
That's twenty dollars that one.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
But it's a meal in itself. If you see the phone, Yeah, yeah, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
A lot of people get it. They'll splitters in half,
they have half each. Yeah, and it's pretty filling. It's
the bread's massive. It's a massive piece of bread.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
Yeah, it's not a tiny new one. And I'll come
back at home now that's cool.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
Well, I'm sure you're going to be busy. So there's
pressure on now? Is that two in a row you've won?
Speaker 2 (05:00):
I know, we won twenty twenty two, then we made
the finals twenty twenty three, but we played it safe
and then this year we went all out and yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
So there's pressure on again. Are you going to have
to go overseas again to get some more inspiration.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Nah. Nah, Yeah, we're going to enter the one that
we were going to enter this year until we decided
to change it up. I think it'll be at the
moment that's not on the menu.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Well, we look forward to that. We congratulations. Oh well,
I'll tell you what.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
I don't know when I'm going to be up around
your way because I'm in Dunedin, but I can tell
you if I am, if I do any cricket commentary
and I'm driving around, I'm calling.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
Him for one of those toasties.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Congratulations, We definitely cheers mate, Thank you and.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Thanks for join us this morning.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Be Rich, there we go, Rich John yet one of
these Jillain's top toasty. I should tell you the cafe
actually at Curdie Falls Store caf and craft Beer Garden.
So there we go. Just google it and find out
we're we just get along. Seriously, if you go on
the end of you can see the photo of this toasty.
It is simply wow. It's a meal within a sandwich.
(06:07):
But I was actually just saying to Libby before last
week I was in said to your target, I don't
I forgot time, but I'll tell you.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
I was driving along with my wife and I said,
I feel like a tasty.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
I really feel like a tasty for some reason. And
then literally I was going around the back way in
the industrial sort of area in Wonnica, in the new part,
and there's a caravan sitting right there with coffee and toasties.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
It was like it was a little bit like going
to your phone when we talk about something and then
on Facebook and all that. Now it starts popping up
on your reels. There it was, and it was and
I got just a simple cheese, ham and mustard and
it was outstanding. So if you just go past with
the new new Wielders and Wanderer, if you're down around
that way, just follow the road around and you'll see
a caravan there. I don't have the name of it,
so that's why I'm not plugging it. But lovely coffee
(06:48):
but also wonderful toasties and the bread was outstanding. So
if you're around that way, there we go pollen. So
you head it on the Country Sport Breakfast
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