Before you say this is just cheese on toast, it isn’t, okay?
I mean, it is, but it’s cheese on toast given layers. Depth. Cheese on toast with a twirlable moustache and an interesting accent, and possibly a penchant for hunting dinosaurs through the Welsh valleys while wielding a cane.
Or something. It’s very tasty, whatever it is, and can of course be tweaked to suit your taste. The original recipe calls for beer, although there are a bewildering array of options for other liquids you could use instead, including port (eh?) and cream (if you really want a dairy overload). I would imagine a Welsh cheese such as Caerphilly would be most appropriate, but I favour extra mature cheddar. So, you know. Adapt to suit!
- 30 g / 2 tbsp / 1 oz butter
- 30 g / 3 tbsp flour
- 1 tsp mustard (seeded, Dijon or English, to taste)
- 60 mL / ¼ cup beer / ale / milk
- Worcestershire sauce, to taste
- Hot sauce, to taste
- 180 g / 1 1/3 cups / 6 ¼ oz grated cheese
- 2 egg yolks, beaten
- 4 slices of bread
Toast your bread and set aside on a grill pan. Get your grill heated up and ready to go.
Melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the flour, stirring vigorously to form a paste. Mix in your mustard, then add your beer or milk gradually, stirring well after each addition to make sure it’s combined before adding more.
Once all the liquid is in, add the Worcestershire and hot sauce, then allow to thicken before adding the grated cheese. Stir constantly while the cheese melts down to form a smooth sauce. Lovely!
Remove from the heat and beat in the egg yolks, then give the mix a few minutes to cool and thicken before spooning it onto your toast (it should spread nicely rather than running everywhere. Give it a little longer to sit if need be).
Pop under the grill until the cheese mix is bubbling and browned (probably not as browned as mine. I got a little distracted …). Serve and devour!
Serves two generously, but you can also use just half the mix and pop the rest in the fridge in case of rarebit emergencies. You never know.
A Toot Hansell Christmas Cracker recipe collection:
- Rose’s Rom Truffles
- Christmas Pudding Cupcakes
- Homity Pies
- Amaretti Espresso Biscuits
- Christmas Breakfast Muffins
- Cranberry, Wensleydale & Walnut No-Knead Bread
- Yorkshire Puddings
- Mulled Apple Juice
- Dragon-Friendly Mincemeat
- Mincemeat Sticky Buns
- Almond, Orange, & Cranberry Cake