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Welsh rarebit
Caws pobi: mustardy cheese and ale sauce grilled on toast
Welsh rarebit, caws pobi in Welsh, is far more than cheese on toast: a thick sauce of strong cheese, mustard, Worcestershire-style sauce and ale is spread on toast and grilled until bubbling and blistered. It has been a tavern supper in Wales and across Britain for three hundred years. The ale contains alcohol, so use milk for an alcohol-free version. Many traditional cheddars use animal rennet, and Worcestershire sauce usually contains anchovy, so choose a vegetarian cheese and a vegetarian brown sauce. Chef's tip: take the sauce off the heat as soon as the cheese melts; boiling makes it stringy and oily.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- ⅞ oz butter
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- ½ cup ale or milk
- 2 tsp English mustard
- 1 egg yolk
- ¼ tsp black pepper
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Melt the ⅞ oz butter in a small pan, stir in the 1 tbsp plain flour and cook for 1 minute, then whisk in the ½ cup ale or milk until smooth and thick.
3 minStep 2: Add the 2 tsp English mustard, 2 tsp vegetarian Worcestershire-style sauce and 7 oz mature Welsh cheddar or Caerphilly (vegetarian) and stir over a low heat until just melted. Take off the heat, beat in the 1 egg yolk and ¼ tsp black pepper. A common mistake is letting it boil, which splits the cheese.
3 minStep 3: Heat the grill to high and toast the 4 thick slices of bread on both sides.
3 minStep 4: Spread the cheese mixture thickly to the edges of each toast and grill for 2–3 minutes, until bubbling and browned in patches. Serve at once.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 18 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
- Fat
- 26 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does welsh rarebit take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
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