A bread pie

In praise of the jaffle (and buttering the iron not the bread)

When evening power cuts were more of a novelty than a daily occurrence, my dad would go deep into the garage, haul out the Skottel gas and a jaffle iron, and we’d stand in the kitchen, dimly lit by the blue flame, taking turns toasting cheese-and-tomato jaffles for supper. I’m still not sure what else that gas bottle was used for, because we weren’t a camping family, but those jaffles turned inconvenience into a special occasion.

Now that it’s toastie season and loadshedding means the sandwich press can’t always be switched on, we’re making jaffles. That, together with last week’s post, reminded me that the jaffle’s big belly and pinched-together rim creates a pocket for fillings more suited to pie (without the commitment of pastry). It’s a reason to hold back some bobotie or save a spoonful of leftover beef stew – or even cook a batch of my mom’s ‘savoury mince’.

The perimeter is so tightly sealed, as if welded shut, that what might ordinarily fall out the sides is contained by a very specific compressed crunchy edge. There was always something satisfying about clamping the jaffle iron closed and the corner crusts falling off. Those offcuts, the good ones even sporting a smear of butter, were snaffled up from the board as we waited impatiently for even toasting and perfect melt. 

If all aligns there’s a Potato Toaster Sourdough loaf from the café a short walk away (electricity depending) and grated 18-month-aged cheddar on either side of a salt-and-pepper seasoned tomato slice. Then we melt butter over a gas flame, dip in a pastry brush, and use that to coat every interior ridge on the iron – not unlike greasing a cake pan – rather than trying to spread less-than-soft butter (when room is more like fridge temperature) over delicate white bread.

This small but fundamental difference ensures the jaffle releases and slips out easily and isn’t greasy to the touch. That said, brushing some of the melted butter over the toasted surface as soon as it comes out works very well too (for the ‘more is more’ among us). All that’s left to do is wait long enough so the tomato doesn’t burn the roof of your mouth. And weigh up whether a jaffle iron is as indispensable as a rechargeable LED lamp.  

– Nikki

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