Welsh rarebit recipe
Thick buttered toast spread with a generous and sumptuous melting mixture of Cheddar, mustard, stout and Worcestershire Sauce, Welsh rarebit (or, in Welsh, caws pobi) is a classic British treat. Basically, it's a rather posh, and very classic, upgrade on cheese on toast. Serve at breakfast, lunch, as a light supper or even as a post-dinner cheese course.
The recipe’s title has prompted much speculation about its origin, but most of the conversation has centred around the dish’s English name. The earliest known references, from the 18th century, call it 'rabbit’ rather than rarebit. It wasn’t until Hannah Glasse’s 1747 cookbook, The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy, that a recipe for the Welsh version (along with Scottish and English ones) appeared in print.
However, the name caws pobi (roasted cheese), dates back much further. In 1547, in his The First Book of the Introduction of Knowledge, writer and physician Andrew Boorde typifies the Welsh, saying: "I am a Welshman… I do loue cawse boby (sic), good rosted chese".
Ingredients
- 120 ml stout
- 1 pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp English mustard powder (or 1 tbsp English mustard)
- 175 g Cheddar or any sharp, tangy hard cheese, grated
- 1 good glug of Worcestershire sauce, plus extra to serve
- 1 egg yolk
- 4 thick slices of white sandwich bread
Details
- Cuisine: Welsh
- Recipe Type: Snack
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation Time: 5 mins
- Cooking Time: 15 mins
- Serves: 4
Step-by-step
- Preheat the grill (broiler) to its highest setting and line a large baking sheet with baking (parchment) paper.
- Bring the stout to the boil in a medium saucepan, then boil for another minute to reduce slightly. Add the cayenne pepper and mustard and whisk together to combine.
- Remove from the heat and slowly beat in the grated cheese. Add a good glug of Worcestershire Sauce and mix well. Finally, beat in the egg yolk and leave to cool.
- Toast the sandwich bread slices before smearing them with generous portions of the cheesy paste. Arrange the bread on the prepared baking sheet and grill (broil) for 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbling. Serve with more Worcestershire Sauce.
Recipe extracted from The British Cookbook by Ben Mervis (Phaidon, £39.95). Photography by Sam A. Harris.
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