In honour of The Searcher and our next discussion, here is something I was curious about when it appeared in the first chapter as Cal was cleaning out the desk drawers in Chapter One. This is an image of Welsh rarebit. Cal found a recipe for it along with newspaper clippings. I didn't expect that Welsh rarebit would just be cheesy toast!!! There are different versions of this, from simply melted cheese on toast to a cheese sauce with beer and other ingredients poured on top of the toast.
Here's a bit of information from Wikipedia:
Welsh rarebit or Welsh rabbit is a dish of hot cheese sauce, often including ale, mustard, or Worcestershire sauce, served on toasted bread. The origins of the name are unknown, though the earliest recorded use is 1725 as "Welsh rabbit" (possibly ironic or jocular as the dish contains no rabbit); the earliest documented use of "Welsh rarebit" is in 1781. Variants include English rabbit, Scotch rabbit, buck rabbit, golden buck, and blushing bunny.
Though there is no strong evidence that the dish originated in Welsh cuisine, it is sometimes identified with the Welsh caws pobi 'baked cheese', documented in the 1500s.
Sauce
Some recipes simply melt grated cheese on toast, making it identical to cheese on toast. Others make the sauce of cheese, ale, and mustard, and garnished with cayenne pepper or paprika. Other recipes add wine or Worcestershire sauce. The sauce may also blend cheese and mustard into a béchamel sauce.
Do you think that the number of times rabbit is mentioned in this post may also fulfill that certain Louise Penny tradition that we used to see on every first of the month?!
Not what I was expecting at all!
When I was a kid this was one of our regular lunches. The main difference was that mom served it over crackers instead of toast. We also sprinkled paprika on top of the cheese sauce. Our cheese sauce was a simple white sauce with cheddar cheese melted in it. For some people grilled cheese sandwiches are considered comfort food but for me this, Welsh Rabbit, is still my comfort food. I guess it takes me back to simpler times when life was more carefree.
Thanks for the history of this dish Katherine. I think it’s interesting how the different variations come to be.
Great job with the play on words as well.
Interesting! Is this a common meal in the States? I have never heard of it before.
I have seen it on menus in various restaurants when I was a child. There’s was the more like what you described with the cheese sauce on toast. I don’t know why my mom used crackers but I loved it. Haven’t seen it advertised anywhere lately but then we don’t eat out much anymore. I’ll keep my eyes open though.
I haven’t read this book yet, but it’s so nostalgic reading this! My mother used to make the most wonderful Welsh Rarebit! She always added sharp cheddar, beer, mustard and a dash of Worcestershire to her bechamel sauce, and then toasted it under the grill. I am basking in the memory of sitting at our old kitchen table eating this glorious comfort food. Thank you for your lovely, interesting post.
I’m pleased that my ignorance has sparked so many lovely memories for everyone here!
I rarely see it on menus in the U.S. I recall it being on more menus when I lived in the mid-Atlantic, on those restaurants that featured traditional fare from colonial or earlier times. This sure looks tasty, though.
Now in New Mexico, we have queso for those who like their cheese melted and seasoned! Highly recommended.
Interesting because it sounded so exotic to me. So exotic that I pasted Wikipedia into this! My next post will be an image and Wikipedia explanation of a soft-boiled egg! Lol!! Apologies for this post then, it must seem silly. I’ve travelled to England and Scotland quite a few times, and Ireland also, but those trips were long ago and I don’t recall seeing this as a menu item. Jane, I’ve never tried queso, so that’s on my list now, but at least I can say that I’ve heard of it before!
Thanks for this post, Katherine! Made my mouth water, and brought back memories. My mother and English grandmother had a great recipe for Welsh rarebit (they pronounced it rabbit, though spelled it rarebit). I used to love it. They used beer, cheese, and paprika in it, and poured that over a slice of ham, on top of toast.
The only time I ever remember seeing it on any U.S. menu was in Williamsburg, VA. I went to a tavern there in Old Williamsburg many years ago and had it. So good!
Love the rabbit references!
Love these Welsh rarebit stories and how you all are so familiar with it! Next up: a photo of a glass of Guinness!!
Oh, yay! I might have a bit of familiarity with that as well…. 😉