Welsh rarebit is relocated to Cornwall via the choice of cheese and then given the French treatment. There’s also a very British secret ingredient that makes all the difference!
Ingredients
For the Cornish rarebit
- 675g/1lb 8oz good-quality cheddar, ideally 1-year-old Davidstow
- 150ml/5fl oz full-fat milk
- 30g/1oz plain flour
- 55g/2oz fresh white breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp English mustard powder
- 2 free-range eggs
- 2 free-range egg yolks
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- salt and white pepper
For the yeast extract butter
- 1 tbsp yeast extract
- 250g/9oz salted butter, at room temperature or softened
- good squeeze fresh lemon juice
For the croque madame
- 8 slices good-quality sourdough bread
- 200g/7oz salted butter
- 8 slices good-quality ham
- 50g/1¾oz sundried tomatoes, chopped
- dash vegetable oil
- 4 good-quality free-range eggs
- 4 baby pickled gherkins cut in half width way and cocktail stick through centre
Method
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To make the rarebit, place the cheese and milk in a heavy-based pan and season with salt and white pepper, to taste. Stir continuously over a medium heat to melt the cheese. Once melted, add the flour, breadcrumbs, and mustard powder, and continuously stir until it reaches a thick consistency. Pour onto a large flat tray and allow to cool to room temperature.
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Once the mixture has cooled, tip into a food processor and blend. Add the whole eggs and egg yolks, one-by-one, to the food processor whilst blending. Add the Worcestershire sauce and pulse to just combine. Transfer into a piping bag and leave at room temperature until needed.
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To make the yeast extract butter, mix the yeast extract into the soft butter in a bowl until fully incorporated, then add good squeeze of lemon juice. Set aside until needed.
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To make the croque madame, preheat the oven to 200C/180C/Gas 5.
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Brush both sides of each slice of sourdough with the flavoured butter. In a hot large frying pan, heat 50g/1¾oz od the unflavoured butter until foaming. Add 2 slices of the sourdough and fry until slightly light brown in colour. Turnover and repeat on each side, then set aside. Repeat with the remaining sourdough.
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Pipe the rarebit onto one slice of bread, place 2 ham slices on topand a sundried tomato, followed by a slice of fried sourdough. Repeat to make three more sandwiches. Place the sandwiches on a baking try and bake until the cheese has melted and the sourdough is nicely toasted.
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Meanwhile, heat a dash of vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry the eggs to your liking over a medium heat, ideally they should retain a runny yolk.
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Remove each croque madame carefully out of the oven and place between 4 plates. Top with a fried egg, garnish with the gherkin halves, held in place with cocktail sticks.