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Welsh
Lille's baked toast, ham and egg under molten Cheddar and beer
FrenchBrought over the Channel by British soldiers and miners, the welsh rarebit became a fixture of the estaminets of Lille and the Nord, where it is served in its own oval dish: toast soaked in beer, a slice of ham, then a flood of Cheddar melted with more beer and mustard, baked until bubbling and often topped with a fried egg. It is rich, sharp and very filling, with chips and a green salad the usual partners. It contains pork in the form of cooked ham, and uses beer; the notes give an alcohol-free swap. Chef's tip: use a strong, mature Cheddar, because a mild one melts flat and loses all its bite once the beer goes in.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
To serve
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 425°F (fan 400°F). Toast 2 thick slices of country bread lightly and put one slice in each of two individual ovenproof dishes.
Step 2: Sprinkle each toast with 2 tbsp of 3 tbsp blonde or amber beer, spread thinly with half of ½ tbsp Dijon mustard and lay a slice of 2 cooked ham on top.
Step 3: Put 10 ½ oz mature Cheddar in a pan with the rest of ½ cup blonde or amber beer and ½ tbsp Dijon mustard over a low heat and stir until melted and smooth. Don't let it boil: that is the usual reason the cheese turns stringy and oily.
6 minStep 4: Season with ¼ tsp black pepper and pour the cheese over the toast and ham, covering them completely.
Step 5: Bake until bubbling and golden-brown in patches.
12 minStep 6: If you like, top each dish with a fried 2 eggs and serve straight away, warning everyone that the dish is very hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 890 kcal
- Protein
- 54 g
- Carbs
- 34 g
- Fat
- 58 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does welsh take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of mature cheddar?
- Any hard cheese, same amount.
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