English Rarebit

One last recipe in the installment of Cottage Recipes: English Rarebit… or my take on it anyway.

Over in the UK, you can find a cheesy snack on most pub menus: Welsh Rarebit (or Welsh Rabbit), toasted bread covered with a molten cheddar cheese/ale/mustard mixture.  A similar concept is English Rarebit, made with wine instead of ale.  We had red wine and cheese on hand, so of course a melty cheese snack was necessary!  Using red wine makes everything go a bit purple — so pretty!  And of course, if you’re cooking with red wine, you know what to drink along with your food… the same red wine will be a perfect match.

English Rarebit
Inspired by Nigel Slater’s Onion Rarebit, Serves 2 as a meal or 4 as a snack.

• 2 bagels, halved (you could also use 2 buns or 4 slices of bread)
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tsp. butter
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 c. red wine
• 1/4 c. old cheddar cheese, grated

In a large pan, heat olive oil over low heat.  Add onions, and cook for about 15-20 minutes, until the onions have completely softened, and even become slightly caramelized.  Set aside.

Toast the bagels.

Preheat your oven’s broiler to the highest setting.

Melt butter in a small pan, and add Dijon and wine.  Stir until ingredients are mixed together, then add cheddar.  Mix well and cook for an additional 2 minutes, until the mixture has thickened slightly.

Place onions on the toasted bagels.  Pour cheese mixture over top of each, and pop under the broiler for about 2-4 minutes, until bits on the top turn golden brown.

Eat and enjoy the cheesy treat, along with a glass of the same wine you used in the Rarebit.