Welsh rarebit

After a fresh take on the classic cheese toastie? Try Matthew Evans’ Welsh Rarebit. This dish combines cheddar and pale beer with a hit of Dijon mustard. Top it with a poached egg and it becomes a 'Welsh Buck'.

Credit: Alan Benson

• serves

  4

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 200 g good-quality cheddar, grated
• 2 tbsp pale beer
• 2–3 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 4 fat slabs of bread

Instructions

Preheat grill to high. Combine cheese, beer, mustard, butter, cayenne pepper and Worcestershire sauce in a pan. Place over low heat and stir until cheese has melted and the mixture is a thick paste; it may not be very smooth, but that’s fine. Cool slightly until needed.

Place bread under grill and toast it on one side. Spread the untoasted side with the cheese paste and return to the grill and cook until browned on top.

Serve immediately with the remaining beer.

Photography by Alan Benson.

As seen in Feast magazine, October 2011, Issue 2.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.