Meet the amazing South African Gatsby sarnie – an Indian-spiced barbecued steak, chip and cheese concoction, all squished into a long baguette made for sharing. You could, in theory, add a little salad as a slightly lame nod to health, but in this double-carb meat feast I think it would pretty much miss the point. Go for broke, I say! I’ve made this with homemade fries and a fragrant spice powder for maximum taste, but if you need to eat fast use oven fries and ready made garam masala.
If you are making your own garam masala, place the cumin, coriander, fennel, celery and the peppercorns in a small frying pan and set over a medium-high heat to toast. As soon as you can smell their aroma wafting up from the pan, turn off the heat and tip into a spice mill or pestle and mortar. Add the turmeric and grind to a powder.
Brush the vegetable oil over both sides of the steak and sprinkle over 1–2 tablespoons spice powder, rubbing it in well. Set aside to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour. Sprinkle a little sea salt over both sides of the steak just before grilling.
Fire up your barbecue until hot, or use a griddle pan on the hob if you prefer. Once hot, grill the steak to your liking – about 3 minutes each side for a medium-rare steak, depending on the thickness.
Once the steak is cooked, transfer to a plate, cover loosely with foil and leave to rest for 10 minutes. Slice into thin strips across the grain for maximum tenderness and spread out along the length of the opened baguette. Sprinkle over the hot chips and cheese, and hinge the baguette shut, squeezing together as best you can. Slice into generous chunks and tuck in while still hot and fresh.
