Welsh Rarebit

Method

1. 1
   • butter25 g
   • wheat flour25 g

   Cook out the roux — Melt the butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. It should smell biscuity and dry out slightly but take no colour at all.

2. 2
   • beer1 dl
   • milk3⅓ tbsp

   Whisk in beer and milk — Whisk in the beer a splash at a time, letting each addition thicken before the next, then the milk. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes to a very thick, glossy paste that pulls away from the base of the pan in a single mass.

3. 3
   • cheddar200 g
   • Dijon mustard2 tsp
   • Worcestershire sauce2 tsp
   • egg yolk1
   • cayenne pepper¼ tsp
   • black pepper½ tsp

   Melt in the cheese — Off the heat, beat in the cheddar in three handfuls, letting each melt before adding the next. Stir in the mustard, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne and black pepper, then beat in the egg yolk once the pan has stopped steaming. Leave 10 minutes to firm to a spreadable paste.

   ⏱10 min
4. 4
   • white bread4

   Toast the bread — Heat the oven grill to its highest setting. Toast the bread on both sides — untoasted bread goes soggy under the topping, and the second side matters as much as the first.

5. 5
   • white bread4

   Grill until blistered — Spread the mixture thickly over the toast, right out to the crusts — any bare bread will scorch. Grill close to the element for 2 to 3 minutes until the surface blisters, bubbles and turns brown in patches, then eat immediately.

   ⏱3 min