Welsh Rarebit: Cheese on Toast, Done Properly

Welsh rarebit is what happens when you stop treating cheese on toast as a midnight snack and start treating it as a dish. Cheese is melted into a seasoned, mustardy, slightly boozy sauce, spooned over toast and grilled until blistered. It is quick, cheap and far better than the sum of its parts.

What makes it a rarebit

The difference from plain cheese on toast is that the cheese is first made into a sauce — typically with beer, mustard and Worcestershire sauce — then poured over the bread rather than laid on it as slices. That sauce is what gives rarebit its glossy, tangy, complex flavour.

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 200 g mature Cheddar, grated
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon plain flour
• 100 ml dark beer or stout
• 1 teaspoon English mustard (or 2 teaspoons Dijon)
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• A pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 egg yolk (optional, for richness)
• 2 thick slices of good bread

Method

1. Melt the butter, whisk in the flour and cook for a minute to make a roux.
2. Add the beer gradually, whisking to a smooth sauce.
3. Stir in the mustard, Worcestershire sauce and cayenne.
4. Off the heat, add the cheese in handfuls, stirring until melted.
5. Beat in the egg yolk if using — it makes the topping richer and glossier.
6. Toast the bread lightly on one side.
7. Spread the cheese mixture thickly over the untoasted side.
8. Grill until bubbling and browned in patches, watching closely as it catches fast.

Getting the seasonings right

Rarebit lives or dies on the balance of sharp, salty and hot. Taste the sauce before it goes on the toast and adjust: more mustard for bite, more Worcestershire for savoury depth, a little cayenne for heat. A mature Cheddar is essential — mild cheese gives a bland sauce.

Variations

• Buck rarebit — top with a poached egg
• Tomato rarebit — add a slice of tomato under the cheese
• Ale-free — use milk instead of beer for a milder, family-friendly version

Food-safety note

The traditional recipe sometimes uses raw egg yolk. If you prefer to avoid raw egg, omit it or use a pasteurised egg — the dish is perfectly good without it.

Rarebit is a excellent use for a sharp Cheddar. For a different take on melted cheese on bread, try our grilled cheese.