Easter and the Welsh Rarebit

Easter brings the rabbit and in our case, the Welsh Rarebit. A classic British cheesy toast that gives new life to day old bread and daggy cheese. It can be as simple as cheddar melted on toast with mustard or fancy with the addition of eggs, creme fraiche or beer.

In keeping with tradition we explored recipes for cheesy toast from the great British chefs and cooks including Gary Rhodes, Delia Smith, Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson. Our fave is based on Mrs Beeton's recipe in her book of Household Management published in 1861. It is a classic pantry challenge that for us, sums up this Easter.

Cheesy Toast Rabbit Style

Serves 2

Ingredients

200g of cheese grated (we used Bay of Fires Cheddar for it's creamy, grassy and earthy taste)

30g butter

2 tablespoons of milk, beer, cider or port (we like Aether Brewing Co's Pit Stop Pale Ale, but stout or dark beers are also good)

1 teaspoon of English mustard

dash of Worcestershire sauce

2 slices of bread

Method

Melt butter in saucepan. Add mustard, Worcestershire sauce and beer. Stir in the grated cheese until melted. Lightly toast the bread. Spread cheese mixture over toast and put under the grill until it is bubbly and golden brown. Serve hot and if you wan to be a traditionalist, with a glass of beer.

Note:

Grilling on a tray or baking paper will contain any escaped cheese mixture.

The cheese mixture can be thickened with 1 tablespoon of flour (if you can get any) added to the melted butter to make a roux.