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AI-generated photograph: Two halves of golden, blistered Welsh rarebit on thick sourdough on a matte grey slate plate, a small heap of dark green watercress beside them

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British · Lunch

Welsh rarebit on sourdough

golden cheddar rarebit · toasted sourdough · peppery watercress

AI-generated photograph

Welsh rarebit is a thick, mustardy Cheddar sauce spread on toast and grilled until it puffs and browns. Ours goes on thick sourdough with a handful of peppery watercress.

Contains: milk, cereals containing gluten, mustard and eggs, as written. Milk is in the butter, milk and Cheddar; gluten is in the flour and the bread; mustard is in the English mustard; and eggs are in the yolk. Ready-made English mustard often contains wheat flour too, so check the label.

Ingredients

  • 25g unsalted butter
  • 25g plain flour
  • 150ml whole milk
  • 250g mature Cheddar, grated (most UK supermarket Cheddar is vegetarian, but check the label)
  • 2 teaspoons English mustard
  • 1 egg yolk
  • A pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 4 thick slices sourdough bread (about 240g)
  • To serve: 100g watercress

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Let's cook

  1. Heat the grill to high. Toast the bread on one side only under the grill, then set it aside, toasted side down, on a baking tray.
  2. Melt the butter in a small pan on a medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring all the time, so it loses its raw taste. This butter and flour paste is called a roux.
  3. Pour in the milk a little at a time, whisking after each splash, until you have a smooth, thick sauce. Let it bubble for 1 minute.
  4. Take the pan off the heat. Stir in the cheese until it melts, then the mustard, the cayenne if using and a few turns of black pepper if you like. Leave it to cool for 2 minutes, then beat in the egg yolk. The mixture should be thick, like a spread.
  5. Spread the cheese mixture thickly over the untoasted side of each slice, right to the edges so the crusts do not burn.
  6. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes, watching closely, until the top is bubbling and golden brown in patches.
  7. Cut each slice in half on a slant and serve straight away with the watercress on the side.

Tips

  • Spreading right to the edges protects the crust from burning under the grill.
  • A strong, mature Cheddar gives the best flavour. Mild Cheddar tastes flat once cooked.
  • Use any leftover egg white in an omelette the next day.

Swaps

  • For the traditional taste, add a few drops of vegetarian Worcestershire-style sauce with the mustard. Ordinary Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies (fish) and is not vegetarian.
  • Milder for children: use 1 teaspoon of mustard and leave out the cayenne.
  • Swap the sourdough for crumpets or thick white bread.

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Our own recipe. The photograph is AI-generated.

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