This was the first time I’ve eaten Welsh Rarebit. If you are going to try it I recommend a mild beer and big thick slices of bread. The recipe is adapted from “The River Cottage Year” by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. Some may call it a fancy cheese on toast. The leeks are optional.
Leeky Welsh Rarebit
1 leek
25g butter
25g flour
150ml beer
75g mature Cheddar, grated
1 teaspoon of English mustard
1 splash Worcestershire sauce
black pepper
4 thick slices of bread
- If you fancy the leeky option, wash and finely slice one leek, and sweat it a little butter and oil for about 10 minutes, until tender but not coloured.
- For the cheese mixture, melt 25g butter in a small saucepan over a low heat, then stir in flour to make a thick roux. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring to prevent the roux burning. Stir in hot beer (bitter or pale ale, not lager) by degrees, until you have a very thick, smooth sauce. Add the grated Cheddar and stir until melted. You should now have a thick paste. Season well with a blob of English mustard, a good splash of Worcestershire sauce and a dash of black pepper. Now stir the leeks into the mixture if you ‘re using them.
- Lightly toast the slices of bread, then pile up the cheesy mixture on each slice. Flash under a hot grill for a few minutes, until brown and bubbling.
Serves 2
Welsh Rarebit is a classic British dish with Lancashire, Cheddar or Double Gloucester used for the cheese sauce, although sometimes Red Leicester is used.
There are a number of variations:
- Buck rarebit – same with a poached egg on top
- Yorkshire rarebit – same with bacon and a poached egg
- Irish rarebit – topped with onions, vinegar, herbs and gherkins
- American rarebit – uses whisked egg whites
- English rarebit – uses red wine
- Scotch rarebit – Dunlop cheese on toast
- King rarebit – same with a fried egg on top
[Miss] Abbot. “….Bessie, I could fancy a Welsh rabbit for supper.”
“So could I–with a roast onion. Come, we’ll go down.”
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
