Welsh rarebit is basically cheese on toast, but with way more personality. This British classic really hits the spot when you want something comforting made from just a handful of ingredients, but the cheese you choose is everything. You want something with punch here. Something mature, sharp and properly savoury.
The combination of cheese, ale, mustard and gentle spice creates something deeply rich and comforting, and it’s exactly the sort of thing you want on a cold day at home.
Now then, let’s get into it.
A few things to know before you start
Cheese: Use something you genuinely love eating. Extra mature cheddar works beautifully, but combining two cheeses gives you a much more rounded final flavour. More on cheese later.
Roux: You want the butter and flour mixture to cook until it smells almost biscuity and toasted. That deeper golden roux gives the rarebit a nuttier, more savoury backbone.
Ale: Guiness is best, but any ale will do. Just don’t add too much.
Chill: The mixture needs time to fully set and intensify in flavour. A few hours works, but overnight is ideal if you want the best texture.
Heat: An aggressive pizza oven gives incredible colour fast, but it can also force some of the fat out of the cheese mixture. A grill is gentler and gives a slightly cleaner final bite.
Serves 4
