Welsh Rarebit
Not just cheese on toast. A proper Welsh rarebit is a savoury sauce of strong Cheddar melted with ale, mustard and Worcestershire, poured over toasted bread and grilled until blistered.
Ingredients
200 g mature Cheddar, grated
100 ml strong ale or stout
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp plain flour
1 tsp English mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 egg yolk
4 slices thick-cut sourdough, toasted
1 pinch cayenne (optional)
Method
- 1
Melt the butter in a small pan and stir in the flour to make a paste. Cook for 1 minute, then whisk in the ale to a smooth thick sauce.
- 2
Add the cheese off the heat and stir until melted and glossy. Stir in the mustard, Worcestershire sauce and cayenne.
- 3
Beat in the egg yolk. The mixture should be thick enough to spread — if not, cool briefly.
- 4
Spread thickly over the toasts, right to the edges.
- 5
Grill under a medium-high heat for 2–3 minutes until bubbling, blistered and burnished. Serve at once.
Cook's notes
Use a Welsh Cheddar if you can find one — Snowdonia or Y Fenni both work beautifully.