Welsh rarebit on sourdough

• 20 minutes
• Prep 10 minutes
• Cook 10 minutes
• Serves 4

Our own recipe. The photograph is AI-generated.

• Vegetarian

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

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.

Tags

• cheese
• toast
• welsh
• cafe

In Weekend brunch and bakes.

Contains: Milk, Cereals containing gluten, Mustard, Eggs .

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.

Check every packet for allergens.