Welsh ‘rabbit’ or rarebit
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Ingredients
- 60ml ale (beer)
- 30g butter
- 125g cheddar or gruyere cheese, grated
- pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon English mustard (or French for a milder taste)
- 4 slices of hot buttered toast, to serve
Note
There is much debate as to which is the correct title; both are used in 19th-century cookbooks. For 'Irish rabbit' a chopped gherkin can be added to the melted cheese mixture.
Directions
| Put the ale and butter in a saucepan over low heat. When the butter has melted, add the cheeses, cayenne pepper, mustard and a pinch of salt. Stir until the cheese melts and the mixture comes to a simmer, using a figure of eight motion to prevent the cheese from binding. Meanwhile prepare the toast. Remove from cheese mixture the heat and allow the mixture to settle for a few seconds before spooning it onto the toast. Serve immediately – the cheese mixture will firm as it cools. | |
| COOK'S TIP: the cheese mixture can be made in advance and refrigerated until required (up to three days). It will harden when cold, so spread onto the toasts and put under a hot grill until it melts, being careful not to scorch the edges of the toast. | |