Welsh rarebit is a classic British dish that turns simple ingredients into a rich, savoury delight.
With the colder weather a sandwich at lunchtime just doesn't cut the mustard. Cheese on toast sounds like a much better option. Let's take that a step further though. After all, a bit of comfort food is just what we need right now.
Welsh rarebit is often mistaken for just cheese on toast, but its a bit more than that. This traditional recipe transforms melted cheese with a flavourful blend of mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and ale, creating a creamy, tangy topping that’s grilled until golden.
Welsh rarebit is a comforting and satisfying dish, perfect for a quick lunch or a tasty snack.
Where does the name come from?
Despite the name Welsh rarebit isn’t entirely Welsh. At least not in the way you might think.
The dish evolved from the old British tradition of toasting bread with melted cheese which was popular all over the UK. The term “Welsh rabbit” (an earlier name for the dish) appeared in the 18th century as a bit of witty fun. Possibly because cheese was the “poor man’s meat” in Wales. Over time “rabbit” became “rarebit” to avoid confusion.
Wales does have a long tradition of cheese making but the dish as we know it today is more of a British invention with Welsh influences.
How I discovered Welsh rarebit
Many people might find this strange, but I do not eat a lot of cheese and at one time I would refuse to eat any cheese. But I did make and exception for Nana Kay's cheese on toast. By the way, I was not even 5 at the time! Nanna Kay was an older lady who lived opposite the Cafe my parents owned at the time.
Occasionally she would look after me while they were working and make cheese toasties. No matter how hard my parents tried they could not persuade me to eat cheese on toast when they made it. It just never was the same as Nanna Kay's, and I just didn't like it.
Fast forward twenty plus years, I was working on a photoshoot for a book company when I had to make Welsh rarebit for photography and I decided to taste it to see what it was like.
From that moment I knew Nanna Kay had not been making me cheese on toast all those year ago but Welsh rarebit. It was then that I truly understood how complex and strong our sense of "taste" is. I had banked the taste in my memory all those year ago only for those memories to come flooding back when I ate it again.
Step 1
Gather all the ingredients for the rarebit together.
Step 2
Slice the bread and toast on one side.
Step 3
Prepare the rarebit over a gentle heat.
Step 2
Spread over the untoasted side of the bread.
Step 5
Grill until golden.
Although this Welsh rarebit will probably not be as memorable for you as it was for me, I would say that it makes the perfect winter weekend lunch. Or at the the weekend why not serve it with a beer.
Welsh Rarebit
Equipment
- Grill
- small saucepan
- spoon
Ingredients
- 200 g (7oz) cheddar cheese grated
- large knob of butter
- 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon English mustard powder
- 2 teaspoon plain flour
- 4 tablespoon beer stout or cider
- 4 slices of bread
Instructions
- Place 200g cheese, a large knob of butter, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon mustard, 2 teaspoons flour and 4 tablespoons of beer into a small saucepan.
- Heat gently, stirring until the cheese melts and all the ingredients blend together to form a thick paste. Allow to cool slightly.
- Meanwhile toast the bread under a grill on one side. Take out of the grill and turn over.
- Spread the cheese mixture over the bread and return to the grill. Cook until the cheese bubbles and turns golden brown.
Notes
Nutrition
Pin for Later
Julie Nelson Rhodes says
Just *yum*!!
Jacqui says
Glad you like it:)