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Welsh rarebit
Serves: 4
Prep time: 15 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Ant Duncan
Welsh rarebit
Recipe by Ailsa Brown
Its name is said to be derived from a snooty joke – that cheese on toast was the closest poor Welshmen would ever get to eating rabbit. But no rabbits were harmed in this gloriously gooey combination of melted cheese, mustard and ale
Serves: 4
Prep time: 15 minsTotal time:
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
563Kcal
Fat
35gr
Saturates
21gr
Carbs
34gr
Sugars
4gr
Fibre
2gr
Protein
25gr
Salt
2.2gr
Ailsa Brown
Ailsa is our former Food Assistant. She loves creating delicious food that can be whipped up without a fuss and is always thinking about her next meal. She has a thing for pickles, anchovies and Japanese street food.
See more of Ailsa Brown’s recipes
Ailsa Brown
Ailsa is our former Food Assistant. She loves creating delicious food that can be whipped up without a fuss and is always thinking about her next meal. She has a thing for pickles, anchovies and Japanese street food.
See more of Ailsa Brown’s recipes
Ingredients
- 40g butter
- 40g plain flour
- 1 tsp English mustard
- ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 200ml brown ale or Guinness
- 200g extra-mature cheddar, grated
- 100g Beacon Fell Lancashire cheese, grated
- 75g pickled onions, chopped (optional)
- 4 large, thick slices of bread (we used sourdough)
Step by step
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Preheat your grill to high. In a small saucepan over a medium-low heat, melt the butter. Once it is bubbling, add the flour and stir in. Cook gently for a few minutes until the mixture starts to brown. Turn the heat down and stir in the English mustard and a good glug of Worcestershire sauce.
-
Little by little, pour in the ale, stirring after each addition. Take care the mix doesn’t boil. Stir in the cheese. Once it is all melted, stir in the pickled onions, if using, and season with pepper. The sauce will be very thick.
-
Lightly toast your bread and spread the cheese sauce over the toast. Pop under the grill for a few minutes until it is bubbling and golden. Serve with salad.