Merguez & Fontina Stuffed Croissants

Big and bold. I was living in France. I stayed there for three years. Once, twice a week, I treated myself to the most amazing bold breakfast, and it started off with these beauties here. Merguez. Cheap, but incredibly tasty. Start off with a nice hot pan. Merguez in. It's a very spicy sausage. Doesn't need any help, doesn't need any chilli. Just a touch of salt and pepper. You can smell the spice. They're starting to release all that wonderful oil, that flavour in there. Add a couple of cloves of finely sliced garlic. Spread the garlic across the pan. It instantly changes colour. Takes on this nice dark, rich, golden colour. Now, take a little bit of heat out with the parsley. The stalks of soft herbs like parsley and coriander can be used to impart flavour during cooking, but the leaves should always be added just before serving to give maximum colour and fragrance. And then finish that off with my capers. Beautiful. Now, take your croissants. They're literally 24 hours old, so they're crispy on the outside. And just slice off the lid. This recipe is a great way to use up any leftover croissants from the day before. I used to cringe when I saw the French cooks throw away croissants. I used to cry, thinking, oh my god. Any idea what you're throwing away in terms of flavour? Whatever you do, do not wipe out that pan. Dunk your croissants, mopping up all that amazing flavour and caramelising the inside. Look at that. Beautiful. And don't forget the lids. And then, get your thumbs and go inside the croissant. All I want to do now is just create a little pocket and just manipulate the croissant. Now, this is where it gets exciting. Mix up the capers, the garlic, the sausages. Look at the colour of that wonderful, delicious flavoured oil. Now, some cheese, but not just any cheese. Fontina cheese is like the number one cheese for grilling. And because it's a very rich cheese, you shave it thinner. Then you would a white truffle, but it gives a really nice saltiness and a light, smoky flavour. A touch of pepper. A bit of salt. Place these big boys on the tray. Literally 30 seconds. On the grill. Here we go. Nice. Crisp. Packed full of flavour. Now, top them. And that, for me, it's almost like being back in Paris. Except this time, I don't have to share them with the French. My ultimate big and bold breakfast. Merguez and Fontina stuffed croissants, a great way to start the day.