0:00
Good afternoon, and welcome to the Good Plate's kitchen.
0:03
Today we're making Welsh Rarebit.
0:08
Our recipe is from Dinner in the Diner by Will Hollister
0:13
and it comes from America's era of great trains.
0:19
It was originally served on the Chesapeake and Ohio sportsman.
0:23
A steam-powered passenger train that took great pride in its dining cart,
0:28
real food, real technique, served its speed.
0:31
So let's clear something up.
0:32
There is no rabbit in Welsh Rarebit.
0:36
The name is old British humor, where bit is a playful corruption of
0:40
rabbit and the joke was that this was the poor Welshman substitute for meat.
0:45
It actually is the rich silky cheese sauce served over toast.
0:49
Simple satisfying and once you make it this way,
0:51
you'll understand why it lasts for two centuries.
0:54
The star is sharp cheddar, not mild, not medium-sharp.
0:59
Grate it yourself because pre-shred to cheese has a
1:01
starch coating that can make your sauce grainy.
1:04
In English Ale, pale or brown, that adds depth you can't take.
1:09
Dry mustard. Use Coleman's, which has a
1:11
sharpness that prepared mustard just doesn't have.
1:14
A splash for Worcestershire for that background umami note.
1:18
For bread, you want something sturdy that can hold up under the sauce.
1:21
A good Pullman loaf is an excellent choice.
1:24
And The Good Plate has the recipe for that if you need it.
1:27
I also added a serrano chili.
1:29
Not for heat, but to lift.
1:31
It brightens the sauce without making spicy.
1:33
And I'm serving this Canadian bacon and laid run on top, just like the original.
1:39
Here is the most important part.
1:41
We're making this in a double boiler.
1:44
And if you don't have one, like I don't have one, here's what you do.
1:49
You take a saucepan with about an inch of
1:51
simmering water and set heat proof bone on top.
1:54
The bowl sits over the water without touching it.
1:57
The steam heats the mold gently and evenly.
1:59
That is double boiler.
2:02
Why does this matter?
2:03
Well, cheese is fat, protein and water.
2:07
Too much heat, too fast, and those protein seize up.
2:10
The fat seperates and your sauce breaks.
2:13
The double boiler keeps everything gentle and controlled.
2:17
So the sauce saves smooth and glossy.
2:20
I know you want to use a microwave.
2:23
But it heats unevenly and it heats fast.
2:26
And you will lose the sauce before you realize what happened.
2:29
Stir constantly when sauce coats the back of the spoon you're done.
2:36
Then it's just a matter of adding the remaining ingredients.
2:41
Make sure that it doesn't coddle and get it stirred in very nicely.
2:47
Then you're going to add the beer.
2:49
Excuse me, then you're going to add the ale.
2:51
Next up is the mustard.
2:55
Then you're going to add the Worcestershire and stir that in as well.
2:59
And finally you have this lovely beautiful sauce.
3:03
It's all ready to go.
3:06
Toast your bread to a deep golden brown.
3:08
It needs to hold up under that sauce.
3:11
Pour the cheese sauce generally over the toast.
3:13
Then lay your Canadian bacon right on top.
3:16
Steamed broccoli makes a lovely side.
3:19
The mild bitterness of the broccoli plays
3:21
really nicely against that rich cheese sauce.
3:24
Serve immediately, Welsh Rarebit waits for no one.
3:29
Thank you for watching.
3:30
See you next time on The Good Plate.
3:32
And remember, ever forward.
