Hello, friends! Tuesday, September 3rd, is Welsh Rarebit Day. Welsh Rarebit is one of my favourite foods—breakfast, brunch, lunch, supper. You name it – I’ll happily eat a Welsh Rarebit at that time. And over here at Maison de la Retro Food, we will be celebrating with a Welsh Rarebit Crumpet.
I have previously written about the dubious origins of the name so I won’t repeat myself. But, for anyone not familiar with the dish, it is a fancy version of cheese on toast. My recipe comes from British chef Mark Hix from the book Midnight Feasts: An Anthology of Late Night Munchies by Charmain Ponnuthurai. He calls it a “Rabbit,” a term used in the 18th century. I’m using “rarebit” to be kind to vegetarians. And no bunnies were harmed in the making of this dish!
I chose this recipe because, whilst having eaten Welsh Rarebit many times, I have never combined it with the joy that is a crumpet before! And it really was a joy! I had these for a working at home lunch and not only did they hit the spot taste-wise, they are also quick to make and the ingredients are usually on hand in most kitchens. Well, you might have to buy crumpets. And if you are the type of person who always has crumpets on hand, well done! You are truly living your best life! You could also use toast for these but you would miss out on one of the delights of the Welsh Rarebit Crumpet.
Crumpets, as I am sure I don’t need to tell you are full of holes. Here is one of my crumpets pre Rarebit
Now, when you add Welsh Rarebit to your crumpets and heat them, something wonderful happens. Those holes fill up with lovely, lovely melted cheese! So, not only do you have cheese on top of your crumpet, you also have it in your crumpet as shown in the photo below.
Bloody brilliant!!!!! I take my hat off to you Mark Hix, you are a genius!
Welsh Rarebit Crumpets – Recipe
Here is the recipe including the adorable drawing that accompanies it:
And just cos that looks tiny, here is a close up of the actual recipe:
Variations on Welsh Rarebit
If crumpets or bread are not your bag, here are some other variations on Welsh Rarebit so you can still celebrate on Tuesday!
Welsh Lamb Rarebit Hotpot: This is going onto my list of things to cook!
Welsh Rarebit Potato Skins: Cheese and Potato is never wrong!
Here’s one with chicken: Yes please!
This Welsh Rarebit Tart is right up my alley
As is this Welsh Rarebit version of cauliflower cheese
Have a wonderful day however you decide to spend Welsh Rarebit Day!
