Welsh Rarebit Sandwich

Give me cheese, preferably grilled on toast, and I’m a happy camper. There are many ways to make a grilled cheese sandwich, but the Welsh have turned it into an art. The Welsh Rarebit sandwich, grilled with tasty Welsh cheese mixed with beer, English mustard, and Worcestershire sauce gives it an extra punch. It’s sometimes called Welsh Rabbit, but don’t worry, no bunnies are ever harmed making this sandwich.

Enjoy this recipe!

Welsh Rarebit Sandwich

Rebecca Forstadt Olkowski

Welsh Rarebit puts a spin on a typical grilled cheese sandwich because it’s made with beer.

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Course Sandwich

Cuisine Welsh

Servings 2 -4 Servings

Ingredients

  

• 1 tsp English mustard powder like Coleman’s
• 3 Tbsp of dark stout or ale
• 2 Tbsp butter
• Worcestershire sauce to taste
• 6 ½ oz of grated English cheese
• 2 egg yolks beaten
• 2 slices of bread

Instructions

 

• Mix the mustard powder with the stout or ale in the bottom of a small pan to make a paste.
• Stir in the rest of the beer, butter, and 1 tsp of Worcestershire.
• Heat gently until the butter has melted being careful not to burn it.
• Slowly add the cheese and stir to melt it but make sure it doesn’t come to a boiling point.
• Once it’s melted, taste it to test the seasoning.
• Take it off the heat and allow it to cool slightly without solidifying.
• Pre-heat a grill to medium and toast the bread on both sides.
• Add the beaten egg yolks into the warm cheese until it is blended.
• Spoon it onto the toast and serve immediately.

It’s said that Welsh Rarebit was conceived in the 1800s and inspired by a 16th-century tale. God asks St. Peter to cast the Welsh out of heaven because they were carousing and causing a ruckus.  St. Peter stomped his feet at the pearly gates and shouted “caws pobil!” That’s Welsh for “toasted cheese.” All the Welshman stumbled out of heaven and St. Peter slammed the gates behind them.

Numerous Welsh Rarebit recipes are floating about, each with variations, but most call for cheddar cheese.  Some even suggest American processed cheese, which to me is a sacrilege. You might want to try using Welsh Caerphilly cheese, Collier’s Welsh Cheddar Cheese, a spicy Red Dragon cheese, or a garlicky Tintern cheese to keep it authentic. Welsh cheeses can usually be found at specialty stores, and gourmet markets or you can even order them online.

Wales is well known for its cheese farms and festivals. If you’re visiting it in June, you may want to attend the “The Big Cheese Festival” in Caerphilly, which takes place beneath one of Europe’s largest castles.

Mix a hearty Welsh Stout or Ale into the cheese, although any beer will do. Wales has a long history of brewing beer and has over 250 pubs. One of its oldest breweries is Brains Bitter founded in 1713. The Samuel Brains family bought it in 1882 and has owned it ever since.

Make sure to attend one of Wales’s many beer festivals in Cardiff.

Your choice of bread for Welsh Rarebit can make a difference in how it tastes. Recipes online suggest anything from ordinary white bread to artisan French Bread.  A freshly baked country loaf with seeds and other whole grains or a whole wheat English muffin will make your sandwich healthier and even yummier.

Visit Wales

Wales is located in southwest Great Britain and has a rich history and a unique language derived from its Celtic roots. Residents speak Welsh as well as English. It’s a stunningly beautiful country with 3 National Parks, a vast coastline, and rugged mountains. Historic medieval castles and ancient Celtic sites can be seen and visited throughout the landscape.