Ridiculously easy and delicious

It's very simple.... think of your most beloved melting cheese(s), nuts, and ingredients that work well together. Stuff it all randomly into a loaf of bread, bake it and voila. Not only is it super pretty (we called it alligator bread because it looks like the back of an alligator), but it goes well with any apéritif, the children will love it, and just like pizza, you can do a half and half. In our house that works well as we don't necessarily enjoy the same cheeses. You will enjoy this so much. It's versatile for guests too... ask them ahead of time which ingredients they love and make one just for them to share. Finger foods made to order. We love that idea!

• 1 small round brown sourdough PAIN BATARD bread (not sliced) - or another type of brown bread
• at least 200 g raclette cheese in slices
• at least 100 g Brie, or Albray, or Camembert cheese - or another soft creamy cheese that melts well
• sundried tomatoes and some of the oil from the jar
  • or use olive oil
• a hand of olives (no pits) - use black olives or green olives... it's up to you and what works with your overall ingredients
• a handful of pistachio nuts - or  walnuts
• a generous clove of garlic
• dried thyme
• freshly chopped flat leaf parsley
• liquid honey

Filling

• prepare all ingredients - shopping in generous pieces or slices. I left the pistachios whole but walnuts should probably be chopped smaller
  • toast the pistachios lightly with some Vendée Fleur de Sel for a deeper flavor if you wish
• preheat the oven to 180°C
• Rub the bread generously with the garlic clove
• taking great care not to break the bread, cut a cross pattern without cutting through the bottom - the more you cut the more difficult this will be
• rub the inside of the bread generously with the garlic clove - or just cut up the garlic and stuff it in the bread - as you wish
• stuff all nooks and crannies very generously with slices of raclette and pieces of Albray (or whichever cheeses you chose for this appetizer)
• stuff (half) olives and nuts into the incisions
• do the same with pieces of sundried tomatoes
• add freshly chopped flat leaf parsley
• mix together in a shot glass: honey, sundried tomato (or olive) oil, and dried thyme
  • drizzle this all over the bread, inside and outside
• lay the bread carefully in an oven dish and slide it into the hot oven for about 20 minutes at 180C (350F)
  • you may use an aluminum foil tent to protect the bread for 10 minutes and then remove it
• serve hot with apéro

Enjoy!
Bren