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Welsh rarebit with apple and walnut slaw


'It’s basically fancy cheese on toast.'

Some Sunday mornings breakfast seems an impossibility and any cooking no matter how simple goes out of the window in flavor of black coffee, watching reality TV with a slack jaw and almost total lack of activity. On days like this brunch is the order of the day and one lazy and indulgent brunch that me and mine enjoy is welsh rarebit with apple and walnut slaw I’m going to insist that you make in its entirety as all of the elements add something to the dish (or just make the rarebit and buy some tomato chutney).

The rarebit

Cheddar cheese (150-200g per person, grated)
Beer (a dark stout, not carling)
Mustard (English or wholegrain)
Hendersons relish (or lea and perrins if you’re unlucky)
Flour
Butter
Salt and pepper (black pepper)
Toast.

  1. First make a roux by melting about a wooden spoonful of butter in a heavy bottomed oven safe pan then stirring in a roughly equal amount of flour then cooking on a low heat for approximately one verse of american pie (when I’m singing it)
  2. Take the pan off the heat and slowly add your beer and a good amount of mustard (whatever this means to you) until you form a smooth paste. Return this to the heat and cook it until it begins to thicken, keep adding beer until you end up with something approaching the consistency of mashed potatoes.
  3. Add your cheese and Henderson's relish. Stir until the cheese melts. When the cheese is melted you are done. Taste and season.
  4. Traditionally one would then spread the rarebit on toast and return it to the grill but, perhaps controversially, I prefer to put the whole pan under the grill then serve with the toast piled up separately on a cutting board.

The slaw
the body
Savoy cabbage (about half, shredded)
Apple (cut into thin batons)
Walnuts (lightly chopped)
Carrot (shredded)
Onion (or shallot, or scallions)
the dressing
Good salad oil
Wholegrain mustard
Cider vinegar
Honey (or maple syrup)
Salt (to taste)
  1. Put all of the ingredients of the body together
  2. There is no way to tell you how much of things to put into the dressing but start with 2 parts oil one part vinegar and honey and a teaspoon of mustard and a sprinkle of salt whisk them together then adjust the balance until you have something sharp and sweet. 
  3. Add your dressing to the body of the slaw. 
Serve the bowl of rarebit, the slaw, some halved cherry tomatoes and a pile of toast onto the table surround the table with hungry friends and/or family and let nature take its course.

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