Smoked Croque Monsieur & Marble's Tawny #3

Ok, this is what I'm about to tuck into for an early lunch. The smell of Bratwurst that awaits me as I've been leaving work this week courtesy of the German Market has left me a distinctly Germanic frame of mind - So I've gone for a quick, smoky version of the artery-killing french classic.

First up - heat your grill. Cut door-stop sized wedges of bread, and butter one side - the outside. On the the other side, smear a hearty portion of mustard, and lay on slices of smoked ham,. Top with crumbled smoked cheese.

Put the other slice on top,butter the outside of it, and whack the whole thing under the grill under the bread toasts and the cheese melts. Sprinkle the top with a little rock salt, and away you go. Smoky, salty and hot - all at once. Wonderful.

...And it's even better if you've got a bottle of Marble's Tawny #3 (5.7% abv) to hand. Much more than an average 'bitter', there's a well-rounded, burnt-sugar, fudgy sweetness underneath that tan collar, which warms up as the alcohol comes through at the end of the sip into a herbal, dry finish. I actually think it's closer to a Belgian Brown, such is the complexity of the beer. Perfect for big, bold flavours like this.

Apologies for the quality of the piccy. It's a little murky here today, and the iphone camera doesnt seem up to the job.