I am not your average TV viewer; I watch baseball and British
television. Recently, via Acorn and Netflix, I became quite intrigued with the
program “Hinterlands." It's a Welsh police drama, filmed in Aberystwyth,
unique in that it is made twice, once in English, and once in Welsh. I've been
to Aberystwyth (as well as Cardiff, and that bibliophile’s dream, Hay-on-Wye)
and, while watching this program, was reminded of how cryptic all of the Welsh
signage appeared to me. (The Welsh seem to use a lot of consonants and very few
vowels.) So, during the process of my watching this program I decided to learn
a little Welsh. I'm having a good time with that, and I will do anything to
learn something new in order to stave off dementia, something I often feel is
tapping me on the shoulder.
Learning Welsh had me thinking about the comforts of a tasty dish called Welsh
Rabbit (or sometimes Welsh Rarebit). If you've not tried this, you must! It is
so comforting you won't believe it. Pair this with a side salad, fruity white
wine or a pint of hard cider, and you have a wonderful early fall, or even
midwinter meal.
Welsh Rabbit
4 ½-inch thick slices crusty bread (I used Pain Turano from Aldi)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup dark ale
1/4 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon dry mustard (I use Coleman’s)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce or ½ teaspoon Worcestershire powder
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 to 3 drops of hot pepper sauce
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 large egg yolk
Spread one side of each of the bread slices with 2 tablespoons of the butter. Arrange slices, butter side up, on a baking sheet, and broil 4 to 6 inches from the heat until golden brown. This should take anywhere between 2 and 5 minutes depending upon your broiler.
Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in a 1-quart heavy sauce pan over low heat. Whisk in flour and cook for one minute, whisking constantly. Add ale and milk, whisking constantly, then whisk in mustard, Worcestershire, pepper, hot pepper sauce, and cheese. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, whisking until smooth, and continue to whisk and cook until mixture reaches desired thickness, about 2 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately whisk in egg yolk. Continue to whisk until smooth. Serve cheese sauce over toast. To make it more of a meal, add slices of tomato and crispy slices of bacon.
4 ½-inch thick slices crusty bread (I used Pain Turano from Aldi)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup dark ale
1/4 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon dry mustard (I use Coleman’s)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce or ½ teaspoon Worcestershire powder
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 to 3 drops of hot pepper sauce
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 large egg yolk
Spread one side of each of the bread slices with 2 tablespoons of the butter. Arrange slices, butter side up, on a baking sheet, and broil 4 to 6 inches from the heat until golden brown. This should take anywhere between 2 and 5 minutes depending upon your broiler.
Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in a 1-quart heavy sauce pan over low heat. Whisk in flour and cook for one minute, whisking constantly. Add ale and milk, whisking constantly, then whisk in mustard, Worcestershire, pepper, hot pepper sauce, and cheese. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, whisking until smooth, and continue to whisk and cook until mixture reaches desired thickness, about 2 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately whisk in egg yolk. Continue to whisk until smooth. Serve cheese sauce over toast. To make it more of a meal, add slices of tomato and crispy slices of bacon.
NOTE: To turn your Welsh Rabbit into Ringtum Ditty, add 1
tablespoon Tomato powder.
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That looks so good! I've never heard of tomato powder, but I love finding and trying new things. This looks perfect for a weekend lunch, too!
ReplyDeleteI can remember wanting to make this back in high school...for Home Ec, maybe? I never did, but the thought stayed with me for a number of years. I think I'd want to taste it at a restaurant first to know if my version is even in the ballpark. (Lingo you can relate to!!! ⚾️) It looks like good comfort food for the cooler weather we're expecting!
ReplyDeleteI've known of the name of this dish for years and years but never made nor tasted it. I have a feeling my husband would love it, because it almost sounds a bit like Hollandaise, which he loves.
ReplyDeleteKeep us posted as to how the Welsh lessons go! My family history supposedly has Welsh roots, and I love hearing the language. And being a spelling buff, I've always been fascinated with the fact one of their towns is named with the longest word ever. :)