Jamie's Favourite Chip Buttie with a Balsamic Reduction

So my boyfriend wasn't feeling too good and was in need of some good comfort food. This chip buttie serves to be quite a quick and easy meal, as well as a good crowd pleaser. You may find yourself eating more than one, and they don't leave you with that overly heavy feeling afterwards.  Anyway, this is my take on the good ol' chip buttie and I hope it inspires you with alternative fillings for this classic.

Ingredients:

- Hamburger rolls
- Oven chips (prepared following packet instructions)
- Shiitake bacon bits (recipe here)
- Sauerkraut
- Tofutti mozzarella style cheese slices
- Sliced avocado
- Vegan gravy (prepared following packet intructions)
- Some sort of relish to use as a spread (I used a chilli one)
- 1 head of cos lettuce
- 1 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 clove of garlic, peeled and lightly crushed with the side of a knife
- 1 tsp mixed dried herbs
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 1 cup swiss brown mushrooms, sliced

Method:

Preheat the griller on a medium heat and slice the hamburger buns open. Once hot, put the buns in the griller, crusty side up. Make sure that you keep watch of them regularly to ensure that they don't start to burn. Should take about 15 minutes.While the buns are grilling, you should have sufficient time to get the mushroom and red onion in a balsamic reduction going. In a small saucepan, bring your balsamic vinegar to the boil over medium heat. Add in your garlic clove, dried mixed herbs, and dried thyme. Now you want to allow it to reduce. Do not increase the heat in hope of quickening the process as it can ruin it. It should take about 15 minutes to halve in volume. Remove from the heat and fish out the garlic clove. For future reference, this reduction can be prepared and stored in the fridge for a week, and also be used as a salad dressing or a drizzle for vegetables.

 

In a lightly oiled pan over medium heat, begin to fry the mushroom and onion. After a minute or so, add the balsamic vinegar reduction and stir fry for 10 minutes.

Once done, transfer the mixture onto absorbent paper.

Now comes the time to assemble the chip butties. Spread relish over the hamburger buns and lay down a layer of chips. Next pour over some gravy and top with a slice of Tofutti cheese. Add some avocado slices and a layer of the herby mushroom and onion balsamic reduction. Next comes the sauerkraut and cos lettuce to finish. Lastly place on the top part of the bun and enjoy this delicious treat while it's hot!