Where I live is freezing at the moment and in the weekend, I had this OTT urge to make Welsh Rarebit. But again . no recipes from home (which are always the best by far in my humble experience ;) Does anyone have a good recipe they've made and relish!
sarahb5,
Sep 11, 8:17pm
Not sure of the quantities because my recipe books are all packed but I toast bread on one side then on the untoasted side spread grated cheese mixed with butter, mustard powder and worcestershire sauce then grilled under browned and bubbly.
pickles7,
Sep 11, 8:25pm
lol, never made that since intermediate school . ummm many, many years ago.
sarahb5,
Sep 11, 8:29pm
Its one of my favourite weekend lunches - I usually make up enough "cheese spread" for at least 6 slices of bread and then just use it as required
cookessentials,
Sep 11, 8:53pm
I grate cheese, add cream ( enough to wet the mixture) reasonably well and a good dash or two of lea and perrins worcestershire sauce, mix well. Lightly toast bread, then spread with mix and pop under the grill till melted, golden and bubbling.
cookessentials,
Sep 11, 8:54pm
Here is the more traditional one
8oz grated, strong cheese such as Cheddar or Cheshire 1 tablespoon Welsh butter 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 1 level teaspoon dry mustard 2 teaspoons flour 4 tablespoons Welsh beer (or milk) shake of pepper 4 slices bread toasted on 1 side only
Put the cheese, flour, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, butter and pepper into a saucepan. Mix well and then add the beer or milk to moisten. Do not make it too wet. Stir over a gentle heat until all is melted, and when it is a thickish paste, stop stirring, and swivel it around the saucepan, which it will do quite easily. Leave to cool a little, and meanwhile toast the bread on one side only. Spread the rarebit over the untoasted side and brown under a hot grill. This mixture can be made and kept in the refrigerator for several days if required. Sweet white wine can be used instead of beer and gives a good flavour. Serves 4. Welsh Rarebit is called Caws Pobi in the Welsh language.
sarahb5,
Sep 11, 9:02pm
That's how my dad used to make it - seems a bit of a palaver for the same taste as the simplified version I make now
davidt4,
Sep 11, 9:03pm
Especially finding the Welsh butter.
cookessentials,
Sep 11, 9:04pm
Yep, Mum used to make it for us after school, usually with the cream off the top of the milk, cheese,mustard and Worcestershire sauce. You can add thin slices of tomato to the top as well if you like. I love it in Wintertime, on it's own or with hot soup.
cookessentials,
Sep 11, 9:05pm
you wont need to worry about the Welsh butter.just use ordinary, although you wouldnt eat it as it goes on bread.,.you know, that god awful stuff you tell us all not to eat.
otterhound,
Sep 11, 9:33pm
And it doesn't need to be Welsh beer either!Plain ole Kiwi stuff will do nicely=)
cookessentials,
Sep 11, 9:36pm
yep.just bear in mind that the above I posted IS a traditional Welsh recipe. I dont think anyone would be silly enough to go searching for Welsh butter or beer, now, would they!
otterhound,
Sep 11, 9:37pm
Well, you never know.=)
davidt4,
Sep 11, 10:25pm
Nothing would surprise me.
The original name for this dish is Welsh Rabbit, and it wasn't necessarily a Welsh dish- here's the Wiki section for anyone who's interested.I like Fowler's summing up: "In his 1926 edition of the Dictionary of Modern English Usage, the grammarian H. W. Fowler states a forthright view: "Welsh Rabbit is amusing and right. Welsh Rarebit is stupid and wrong."
just so there is no confusion between the purists among us, here is the site that the recipe above is from. For those of you who would like other Welsh recipes, they have some great ones on the site.
Post a variation on a recipe (like Aioli) and you're slated for not being 'authentic'.
Post an 'authentic' recipe and you're slated for suggesting ingredients that might be hard to find!
cookessentials,
Sep 11, 10:46pm
Picky! nah, just real big over inflated ego's methinks.
elliehen,
Sep 11, 11:05pm
1926!We're not far off 2026!
Language - and recipes - are constantly changing with use.
The dogs bark and the caravan moves on.
cookessentials,
Sep 11, 11:15pm
and sometimes the dogs just bark.
taken from the Welsh food guide above. Welsh Rarebit Recipe THE WELSH FOOD GUIDE
"I am a Welshman. I do love cause boby [sic], good roasted cheese.' First Boke of the Introduction of Knowledge, Andrew Boorde, 1547.
Welsh rarebit is perhaps the most famous Welsh dish of them all and one which, along with Irish Stew and Scottish Haggis, travelled the world over. There is much debate as to where the name derives from. Some say it comes simply from ‘rare' (lightly cooked) and ‘bit' (small portion) others believe it derives from the traditional Welshman's inability to catch a rabbit leaving him to use cheese as a poor alternative!
davidt4,
Sep 12, 1:18am
Excellent!Well spotted elilehen.
pickles7,
Sep 12, 2:04am
Welsh Rarebit , is an English take, on, Welsh Rabbit. # don't know where post 5 comes into it. Maybe it was a family members take on cheese on toast.
Welsh Rabbit. Is made using the roux method; flour butter milk mustard powder salt cayenne pepper milk. [beer!] probably safest back then. Worcestershire sauce grated sharp Cheddar cheese.
it is this recipe, we were taught in School.
elliehen,
Sep 12, 2:55am
pickles7, your 'take' on the recipe and the name is only as good as the next one of 134,000 links on Google ;)
Before there are any more foodies in a froth about the recipe or the name Rabbit/Rarebit, here's one more from respected Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall of River Cottage fame - a recipe for a gourmet 'Rarebit' (as he says it's now commonly known).
Leek and blue cheese rarebit Sweet leeks and tangy blue cheese make a richly seductive combination. Serves four.
40g unsalted butter 2 leeks, trimmed, halved, washed and finely sliced 70ml double cream 100-130g blue cheese, crumbled – blue vinney or harbourne blue, say ½ tsp fresh thyme leaves Salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 thick slices sourdough bread
Melt the butter in a large frying pan over a medium-low heat. Sweat the leeks with a good pinch of salt until meltingly soft and tender – about 15 minutes. Add the cream and let it bubble for four or five minutes, until thickened. Stir in two-thirds of the cheese until melted, then remove from the heat, stir in the rest of the cheese, the thyme and season.
Lightly toast the bread, pour on the leek and cheese mixture, and pop under a hot grill until bubbling and golden.
cookessentials,
Sep 12, 3:30am
so good at trawling the internet are our witches of eastwick lol.Just twist it around a bit and hey presto, we have "their take on it" and for you info smarty pants pickles, the "recipe" I gave was a basic version that my Mother has used since we were kids which is perfectly fine, so get off your high horse madam.
pickles7,
Sep 12, 4:09am
Desperation , at its best . lol.
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