Welsh Rarebit

J was stuck in Vegas for a week. Yes, stuck. I went for a long weekend with him, and the scene there? Not really (more diametrically opposed to) our style.

His flight home was delayed, it was cold, raining- some comfort food was is order. The hotel we stayed at had a "cheddar stout soup" on the menu, and rarebit was on my mind.


Welsh Rarebit
from Mark Bitman's How to Cook Everything

For sauce:

• 1lb cheddar, shredded; Irish, sharp, aged--something strong enough to stand up to the stout
• 3/4+ cup stout; I used Guiness
• Worcestershire sauce; 2 Tbsp or to taste
• Dash cayenne; I was out (shocking!) so used hot paprika
• 1 Tbsp mustard; should be dry, but I used Dijon
  
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1. In heavy-bottomed sauce pan heat butter over medium-low until melted
2. Gently add in flour. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it's golden brown. 3-4 minutes.
3. Whisk in cayenne and mustard
4. Slowly pour in stout, whisking until texture is homogeneous
   
5. Reduce heat to low and whisk in handfuls of cheese until completely melted
6. Be careful not to overheat, or yours will breakdown like mine. Also, don't be lazy and chop cheese instead of shredding- it makes it heat unevenly and breakdown, like mine.
7. Remove sauce from heat; it will keep a day.
8. When you're reheating don't forget and leave sauce on the stove while you go to get husband from the airport; it'll overheat and breakdown like mine.
9. If this does happen, you can kinda rescue the sauce with careful additions of more flour, beer and cheese. I do not recommend getting your sauce in a situation where it needs rescuing.
   

To Serve:

1. Have grand ambitions to do this eggs benedict style.
2. Realize it's late and you don't have the time for a multi-dish broiling process.
   
3. Toast both sides of thick bread slices under the broiler until pretty dry
4. roast any veggies you have on hand (I had leeks, broccoli and cauliflower) until tender
5. poach one egg per person
   
6. Put toasts on large cookie sheet and spread each lightly with sauce
   
7. top toasts with a few of the roasted vegetables, and a healthy (really not healthy) scoop of sauce and broil until bubbly
   
8. place toasts in bowl or on plate with remaining veggies and top with egg
   
9. serve immediately