Everyone knows that cheese on toast is made by grilling slices of pure cheese on toasted bread, but when it comes to Welsh rarebit, there’s much more to it.
This Welsh classic comprises a grilled cheese-based sauce made from cheese, flour, beer and often added egg, served with thick bread.
There are so many variations of this comforting dish and chef James Martin has a recipe that’s perfect for St David’s Day, which is celebrated on March 1.
The British chef pairs his with meaty bacon for a unique twist, making it “perfect for weekend lunchtime feasting”, according to James.
He said: “This rarebit is deliciously indulgent…bread, cheese, bacon..served with chutney, tomato, sherry vinegar and chives!”
Ingredients
- 350g cheddar cheese, grated
- One tablespoon of English mustard
- One tablespoon of Worcester sauce
- One tablespoon of Tobasco sauce
- 50ml milk
- 50ml beer
- Three egg yolks
- Two tablespoons of plain flour
- Eight slices of unsmoked back bacon
- 50g butter
- Four slices of thick-cut bread
James recommended serving the rarebit with a few sides and dressings including chutney, mixed tomato salad, sherry vinegar and fresh chopped chives.
Method
A hot oven is essential to melt the cheese so start by setting the appliance to 200C.
Now, make a start on assembling the rarebit by taking the bacon and butter and adding it to a large, non-stick pan. Dot with more butter and leave to roast in the oven for just 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, take another pan, this time medium in size, and place over moderate heat on the stove. Put the cheese, mustard, Worcester sauce and Tabasco sauce in the pan and stir everything together until nicely melted.
Reduce the heat as necessary if you notice the cheese burning at any point.
Separate each of the three egg yolks from the whites and keep the whites separate. They can be used for another recipe, perhaps meringue.
Keep the yolks and add them to the cheesy mixture along with the flour, then beat everything together and allow to cook for two minutes.
Remove the bacon from the oven dish, place the bread inside along with the bacon and spoon the cheesy mixture all over.
Leave to bake in the oven for five minutes until golden and bubbling. Serve with the suggested sides or simply on its own.
