Anyone for rabbit?

There are many recipes for making this snack that originated in Britain the the eighteenth century. Although today we hear ‘Welsh’ rarebit but in those days it was common to also hear about English, Irish and Scottish rabbits too. So should it be rabbit or rarebit?

The consensus is that ‘rabbit’ is correct. The dish was included in early classic recipe books and the name changed to ‘rarebit’ so that people wouldn’t think this was a meat dish.

Isn’t this dish simply cheese on toast? Here’s a typical recipe.

Melt two ounces of butter in a small saucepan. Add the same amount of flour and mix to make a roux. Cook for a couple of minutes. Keep stirring so it doesn’t stick. You’ll then need eight or nine ounces of a good strong beer. (Take the beer out of the refrigerator well in advance – it’s a good idea to warm it in the microwave for a few seconds). Stir the beer into the pan gradually – just add a little at a time making sure that you keep stirring the mixture. Stir until you have a smooth sauce.

Add about eight ounces of grated cheese – traditionally a good strong cheddar is used. Mix in a couple of teaspoons of English mustard and a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce. Add freshly ground black pepper.

Lightly toast four large slices of bread, butter the bread and pile the cheese sauce on top of each. Broil quickly until the cheese is bubbled and golden brown.

Add a poached egg on top and it becomes a Buck Rabbit. Add sliced tomato and you have a Blushing Bunny!

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