Rarebit, Welsh And Elsewhere

[JPK Huson 1863]

Rabbits avoided a cheesy fate in this recipe, originally ' Welsh Rabbit '. We do that a lot- corn dogs for instance. Pretty sure they wouldn't get stocked much less eaten were dogs actually part of the recipe.

No idea why I felt it important to track down what on earth was the genesis of ' Welsh Rarebit '. Why ' rarebit '? Why was toasted cheese Welsh? FYI earliest mention of toasted cheese referred to as ' rarebit ' is 1870. I'm not saying it was new- by the time something got itself written in cook book history it had been around for awhile.

And ah HA, for some unfathomable reason it was originally ' rabbit '. There's some inkling of ' why rarebit '. Maybe.

No answers on the Welsh part. It did have staying power. IF it's referred to 150 years later at all it's almost always 'Welsh'. Also no answer on why there's a lovely poem/maxim printed beneath this 1870 recipe either. It's from one of those ' Young Housewife ' companion books.


Another fleeing bunny. May be why the Welsh had to use cheese. Rabbits are swift, cheese not so much.

The others, like Mock Rarebit are from a decade later cook book that boasted copious reprints.

MOCK RAREBIT

2 tablespoons butter

Dash of cayenne

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk or

1 pound grated cheese

1 teaspoon grated horseradish

Yolks of 2 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

Rub the butter and flour together. Add milk and stir until boiling. Remove and stir in the cheese. Reheat, beating constantly, and add the salt, cayenne, and horseradish. Stir in beaten yolks of eggs and pour over crisp brown toast. Each piece may be capped with a poached egg with salt and pepper.


SAVORY RAREBIT

2 tablespoons green pepper, 1 cup canned tomato soup finely chopped VA cups soft cheese

1 tablespoon onion, finely chopped

! teaspoon salt

Few grains cayenne

1 tablespoon butter 1 egg

Cook pepper and onion in butter three minutes. Add soup and simmer five minutes. Then add cheese, cut in small pieces, and seasonings, stirring constantly until cheese is melted. Add egg slightly beaten and cook until thickened. Serve on bread.



WAVERLEY RAREBIT

1 small onion

1 cup boiled rice

2 tablespoons cooking oil

1 cup chopped peanuts

2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon celery salt

1 cup cheese 1 teaspoon chives

1 egg

Speck pepper

Sautee sliced onion in oil until slightly yellowed, and add flour and blend well. Add milk and cheese, and cook until mixture is smooth and cheese is melted. Add unbeaten egg to hot mixture and beat well. Add rice, peanuts, and seasonings. Serve hot at once on crisp crackers or squares of toast.



WELSH RAREBIT

1 tablespoon butter Few grains cayenne

1 pound soft cheese

1 cup rich milk

1 teaspoon salt 1 egg

½ teaspoon mustard

Melt butter, add cheese cut in small pieces, and seasonings. As cheese melts add milk gradually, stirring constantly. Add egg slightly beaten and cook one minute. Serve on toast or crackers.



Illustrations, NYPL and a couple mid-1800's children's primers in public access.

 

[donna]

Love these illustrations. Have always liked cheese rarebit. I know many recipes and some others on the forum.
One I recently found from 1920 is Cheese Olive Rarebit.

1 tablespoon melted butter
1 tablespoon flour
2 cups grated cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs slightly beaten
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup tomato catsup
1/3 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup sliced stuffed olives

Combine butter and flour. Combine milk and water. Add to first mixture. Cook over hot water until thick and smooth. Add cheese, catsup, salt, pepper and eggs. Mix thoroughly. Heat. Add olives. Serve on toast.

From: "The Household Searchlight Cookbook."

 

[Mark F. Jenkins]

This was the kind I made when I was trying to cook a Welsh meal (which also included cawl and laverbread). It came out fine:

Welsh Rarebit

• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• Pinch of salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• ¼ tbsp mustard
• ¼ tsp worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup whole milk
• ½ pound shredded cheddar

Melt butter in saucepan over low heat; blend in flour, salt, pepper, mustard, worcestershire sauce; stir and cook about 5 minutes/until mix is smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat and slowly stir in milk. Return to heat and stir and cook till a boil. Melt cheddar in in small portions, stirring, blend completely. Remove from heat. Spoon over toasted bread.

 

[Mark F. Jenkins]

(incidentally, when I told my Welsh language instructor last weekend that I had made laverbread, his response was, "I'm so sorry.")