Today is Welsh Rarebit Day. The ‘Fluffy Bunny Brigade’ need not have a fit with this “Rabbit” recipe.
.
Rabbit, Not Rarebit.
.
The once-famous Welsh rabbit (please don’t call it “rarebit”) is a very old formulation. There isn’t much agreement on how Welsh rabbit might have gotten its name, but our favorite story is that sharp cheese melted into ale or beer, served over crisp toast, was a substitute for meat when the men had been unsuccessful in their hunting that day. It was left to the women to fix a meal, and we wouldn’t doubt, some clever woman came up with the name.
.
Welsh rabbit is similar to fondue, except that the melted cheese is poured over toast instead of dipping bread chunks into a pot of melted cheese.
.
2 cups/250 grams grated really good sharp cheddar cheese
4 eggs separated
1 teaspoon/5 grams dry English mustard
Worcestershire sauce
hot-pepper sauce
salt and freshly ground pepper
4 large slices of good white bread
Optional: sliced tomato
Optional garnishes: fresh snipped chives or thyme
Optional garnishes: fresh snipped chives or thyme
.
*You can use any semi-hard cheese, or a blend. Like fondue, Welsh rabbit is a great way to use up scraps of cheese.
.
Place the cheese in a bowl, beat in 3 egg yolks (use the fourth one in something else), the mustard, a good shake of Worcestershire sauce and the hot-pepper sauce, and season to taste. Toast the bread.
.
Beat the 4 egg whites until they stand in stiff peaks. Add a spoonful or so to the cheese mixture, then gently fold the rest of them into the bowl. Put the toasts into a baking dish and pour the mixture over them. Bake in a 450F/232C oven for 10 minutes until brown and risen. Serve at once with a salad or spinach on the side.
.
Who needs a real rabbit: This “poor man’s supper” is delicious!
0 Comments