Dr Mobeus
Welsh Rarebit
Welsh rarebit is the centuries old answer to cheese on toast, and it costs barely more to make. Where plain melted cheese slides off the bread, a proper rarebit sauce thickened with flour and sharpened with mustard and Worcestershire sauce sets into a molten, blistered blanket that clings to every corner.
At around 55p a portion it comfortably beats a shop bought sandwich on price, and it is ready in the time it takes to toast the bread. The sauce takes ten minutes and can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for a few days.
This is proper comfort food from the days when cooks knew how to make a little cheese go a long way, and it still beats anything from the chilled aisle.
Welsh Rarebit
Ingredients
Method
- Toast the bread lightly so it holds its shape, then lay the slices on a grill pan.
- Gently melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, then add the milk a little at a time, stirring until you have a smooth, thick sauce.
- Take off the heat and stir in the cheese, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and plenty of black pepper until you have a thick, glossy paste.
- Spoon the cheese mixture generously over each slice of toast, spreading it right to the edges.
- Grill for 4-5 minutes until bubbling, blistered and golden in patches. Serve straight away with the sliced tomato.
Tips and Variations
Keep the sauce thick – it should coat the back of a spoon – or it will slide off the toast under the grill. A splash of stout or ale in the sauce is the traditional Welsh touch if you have a can open. Rarebit is forgiving with bread, so use up the end slices of a loaf. Top with a poached egg or the grilled tomatoes to turn it into a full meal, and any leftover sauce keeps in the fridge for up to three days.
