- 150ml/5fl oz rice wine or cider vinegar
- 50g/2oz caster sugar
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
- 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1 small bunch fresh dill, leaves only, roughly chopped
- 12 slices sourdough bread, preferably a mixture of wheat and rye
- 40g/1½oz softened butter
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 300g/10½oz thinly sliced pastrami
- 400g/14oz fontina, sliced
- vegetable oil, for deep frying
- 3 parsnips, peeled and cut into wafer-thin slices using a potato peeler
- 3 carrots, peeled and cut into wafer-thin slices using a potato peeler
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
- Bring the rice wine vinegar to a simmer in a non-reactive saucepan with the sugar, salt and mustard seeds, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
- Put the cucumber slices into a bowl and pour over the hot vinegar mixture. Stir in the dill and set aside to infuse.
- Meanwhile, toast all the sourdough slices and spread with butter. Spread 4 slices with mustard and top each with a layer of pastrami. Divide half of the cheese slices equally among the 4 bread slices, then arrange a layer of pickled cucumber on top of the cheese.
- Repeat this layering process with another slice of bread and the remaining butter, mustard, pastrami, cheese and pickled cucumber. Finish each sandwich with a piece of bread.
- Wrap each sandwich in a large sheet of baking parchment, then secure with cooking string.
- Transfer the parcels to a baking tray and bake in the oven for 10 minutes, or until the sandwiches have warmed through and the cheese has melted.
- Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer to 160C/325F. Alternatively, heat the oil in a deep, heavy-based pan until a breadcrumb sizzles and turns golden-brown when dropped into it. (Caution: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)
- Carefully lower the parsnip and carrot slices into the oil in batches and fry for 4-5 minutes, or until crisp but not browned – the aim is to dry out the vegetables without burning them. Remove from the oil using a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen paper. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Serve the hot sandwiches on plates in their parcels, with a pile of parsnip and carrot crisps alongside each.