Steadying.

In our house, this evening marks the beginning of Welsh Rarebit season, an ancient and sacred rite.

WELSH RAREBIT

Ingredients

• A knob of butter
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp Coleman's mustard powder
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 c Guinness
• A very long splash of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 lb. mature strong Cheddar, grated (Look for English farmhouse types such as Montgomery's, Keen's, Quicke's, or my favorite, Lincolnshire Poacher)
• 4 pieces of toast, preferably from homemade bread

Method

1. Melt the butter in a pan, stir in the flour, and let this cook together until it smells biscuity but is not browning. 
2. Add the mustard powder and cayenne pepper, stir in the Guinness and Worcestershire sauce, then gently melt in the cheese.
3. When it’s all of one consistency, remove from the heat, pour out into a shallow container and allow to set. Spread on toast thickly and place under the broiler. Eat when bubbling golden brown. 
4. This makes a splendid savoury at the end of your meal, washed down with a glass of Port, or as a steadying snack.

I highly recommend the addition of Nueske's Triple-Thick Butcher Cut bacon.

Repeat as needed.  Recipe courtesy of Fergus Henderson, from The Complete Nose to Tail

Thanks to Grandma Chenoweth.

Steadying.

Evenings at this point in the Oyster Months find this house engaged in the ancient and sacred rite of the Welsh Rarebit, repeated as needed ...

WELSH RAREBIT

Ingredients

• A knob of butter
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp Coleman's mustard powder
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• 1c. Guinness
• A very long splash of Worcestershire sauce
• 1lb. mature strong Cheddar, grated
• 4 pieces of toast

Method

1. Melt the butter in a pan, stir in the flour, and let this cook together until it smells biscuity but is not browning. Add the mustard powder and cayenne pepper, stir in the Guinness and Worcestershire sauce, then gently melt in the cheese.
2. When it’s all of one consistency, remove from the heat, pour out into a shallow container and allow to set. Spread on toast 1cm thick and place under the grill. Eat when bubbling golden brown. 
3. This makes a splendid savoury at the end of your meal, washed down with a glass of Port, or as a steadying snack.

Recipe courtesy of Fergus Henderson, from The Complete Nose to Tail

Thanks to Grandma Chenoweth.

Advanced.

On one side of town, the German food culture of the Firchaus was deeply ingrained with the plying of homemade sausages, sauerkraut (sealed in earthenware crocks and buried in the backyard), bread, and butter, and Grandpa's pear wine (served in pimento-jar juice glasses with strict instruction to, "Make it last").  

On the west side of Saginaw, my Grandma Chenoweth, a welshman through-and-through, did her best to instruct us in Anglo ways.  It began early with simple cinnamon toast served daily at tea-time, but I remember these from our advanced classes ...

DUNDEE BISCUITS

Ingredients

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ cup quick-cooking oats
• ¼ cup butter
• ⅓ cup milk
• 1 large egg, divided
• Sliced almonds

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, and oats. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. In a small bowl, combine milk and egg yolk; stir into flour mixture.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to ½-inch thickness. Using 1½-inch round cutter, cut biscuits. Place on baking sheet. Brush with lightly beaten egg white and top with sliced almonds.
5. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned.
6. Transfer to wire racks to cool.