Welsh Rarebit on Crumpets – A lovely tangy and piquant Welsh rarebit mixture that is perfect when spread and melted on toasted crumpets. Serve for breakfast, brunch or supper with grilled tomatoes, mushrooms and crispy bacon. The mixture can be made ahead and lasts for five days in the fridge…..

…..and other Autumn Fireside Supper Recipes

September is the start of the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, it seems like one minute we are enjoying the last rays of late summer, and then almost to the start of the month, I’m seeing swirling mists over the mountains opposite me, and there’s a definite “nip in the air” in the early morning and evenings. When I venture out into the garden, I can smell the aromatic scent of wood smoke, as well as the heavy aroma of rotten windfalls in the orchard, almost like a tannin rich wine, they lay on the dew-soaked grass and provide food for insects and our resident blackbirds. We’ve not actually lit a fire yet, as we have enjoyed a bit of an Indian summer of late, but I’m already thinking of fireside suppers and other cold weather recipes. Today’s recipe for Welsh Rarebit on Crumpets is just the sort of recipe that I envisage enjoying in front of a roaring fire, easy to make, it has comfort food written all over it, although it’s one of the most popular breakfast requests in our B and B. 

I always associate a good Welsh Rarebit, or Rabbit as it should be called, with tea time and evenings, as the recipe contains ale in it, although not a lot, and it is more of a “slow snack” that needs to be enjoyed when time isn’t at a premium, as it may be at lunch time. The first Welsh Rabbit recipe as seen in print was back in 1725, although another version, for what we now know as Welsh Rarebit, was seen sixty years later in 1785; there were many “rabbit” recipes about, and the 18th century cookery writer, Hannah Glasse, offered several recipes for a rabbit, from Wales, Scotland and England. It seems that a Welsh rabbit had mustard added whilst an English rabbit had ale or red wine added, so today’s recipe is both English and Welsh, as I have added mustard and ale to the mix.* *(You can add milk in place of ale if you wish) 

Today’s recipe is a new rarebit recipe, one that I make for our B and B guests as part of our cooked breakfast choice….it’s not strictly a traditional rarebit mixture, as it contains eggs, but I need the eggs to act as a setting and stabilising agent for the mixture, so it’s well behaved and sits on top of the toasted crumpets, rather than running away! I have a few other rarebit recipes on Lavender and Lovage, as well as my mum and grandma’s recipe in my book. It’s a really lovely tangy and piquant Welsh rarebit mixture,. which is perfect when spread and melted on top of toasted crumpets. Great for breakfast, brunch or supper, and lovely with grilled tomatoes, mushrooms and crispy bacon. The mixture can be made ahead and lasts for five days in the fridge, which makes it a doddle for busy mornings, so as well as being a fabulous fireside supper dish, it’s a recipe that would work really well for mid-week breakfasts, for the children before they go to school.

This delicious recipe for Welsh Rarebit on Crumpets is shared below, and so try to used toasted crumpets as the vehicle for the cheesy mixture, it’s a great alternative to the usual toasted bread. Have a relaxing and fun weekend,

Karen 

Welsh Rarebit on Toasted Crumpets

Print recipe

• Print with main photo
• Print text only

Serves	8 Crumpets
Prep time	20 minutes
Cook time	15 minutes
Total time	35 minutes
Allergy	Egg, Milk, Wheat
Dietary	Vegetarian
Meal type	Breakfast, Lunch, Side Dish, Snack
Misc	Child Friendly, Pre-preparable, Serve Hot
Occasion	Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving
Region	British
By author	Karen Burns-Booth

A lovely tangy and piquant Welsh rarebit mixture that is perfect when spread and melted on toasted crumpets. Serve for breakfast, brunch or supper with grilled tomatoes, mushrooms and crispy bacon. The mixture can be made ahead and lasts for five days in the fridge.

Ingredients

• 225g grated extra mature Cheddar cheese
• 2 large free-range eggs (beaten)
• 150ml full cream milk (or 150ml beer, such as pale ale or IPA)
• 1 heaped teaspoon ready-made English mustard
• 10 splashes of Worcestershire Sauce
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon cornflour (mixed with a little milk or beer)
• Crumpets (toasted and buttered)
• Snipped fresh chives and parsley (to serve)

Note

A lovely tangy and piquant Welsh rarebit mixture that is perfect when spread and melted on toasted crumpets. Serve for breakfast, brunch or supper with grilled tomatoes, mushrooms and crispy bacon. The mixture can be made ahead and lasts for five days in the fridge.

Directions

Step 1	Mix the first six ingredients together until smooth. Spoon or pour into a saucepan and heat gently until the cheese has melted, and the mixture is thick but still fairly runny. Add the cornflour mixture and heat until thickened. Take off the heat and allow to cool, the mixture will set as it cools and become stiff. At this stage, you can store it in a covered container in the fridge for up to five days.
Step 2	Once the mixture has been made and cooked, toast the crumpets and then butter them. Set them on a lined baking tray or in a grill, and spoon and spread some of the mixture over the top, spreading it quite thickly.
Step 3	Place the covered crumpets under a pre-heated grill and grill until the cheese mixture has browned and is bubbling.
Step 4	Serve straight away with snipped fresh chives and parsley scattered over the Welsh Rarebit Toasted Crumpets. Great with grilled tomatoes and mushrooms, as well as crispy bacon.
Step 5	NB: This mixture is enough to cover 8 crumpets. Not suitable for freezing but keeps in the fridge for up to five days.

More Autumn Fireside Supper Recipes

Slow Sunday Brunch:

Welsh Rabbit with Home-made Rustic French Boule (Bread)

Smoked Cheese and Cherry Tomato Rarebit:

On Toast Snack or Light Supper Recipe

Welsh Rarebit Cheese Spread

Autumn Suppers:

Bonfire Chilli with Beef, Chocolate and Pumpkin

Christmas Eve Fireside Supper Chicken & Ham Pie

Ski Chalet Supper:

Tartiflette Savoyarde with Reblochon Cheese

Meal Planning Monday and Cheesy Stuffed Supper Spuds

(Baked Jacket Potatoes) Recipe

Mum’s Cheese and Potato Pie for Family Suppers

Welsh Cawl (Lamb & Vegetable Stew)

Grana Padano Chicken & Artichoke Gratin

Healthy Cauliflower Cheese