By Chef David “Smitty” Smith ·
Not being able to ski this year has been a pretty tough thing for me. It is the first time I’ve missed a year since I first started skiing at 15.
Recently, I took the Funitel up to Gold Coast at Squaw to check out the top of the mountain for some of my clients that are thinking about coming up and stopped to say hello to Mona, one of the best bartenders I’ve ever known. Mona is also a good friend of Kitty’s, my friend from Nantucket that usually comes out here to ski in March. Kitty won’t be making it out this year due to a recent surgery, but if either of the girls found out I was in close proximity to the other and didn’t say hello, I’d be in wicked big trouble.
So, I was talking to Mona when Bob Kalpin hears us talking about Kitty and hands me a beer and says “Happy Birthday.” My birthday isn’t until October, but he said it was for last year. His birthday was two days away, so naturally I had to reciprocate the gesture and we had a great conversation. We talked about ski school, fishing and other stuff, and then he asked me what the weirdest thing I had prepared in restaurants that I had worked in that had been a regular menu item. I remembered back to the Nantucket Yacht Club and the Welsh rarebit. We used to sell a ton of it and yet I’ve never even seen it anywhere else.
I think the easiest way to think about rarebit, is to think of it like a cheese fondue made with cheddar cheese instead of Swiss. The other most notable difference is the addition of beer.
We did do a few things different back then to satisfy the customers, such as using three-quarters of the deep, orange-colored mild cheddar to one-quarter sharp cheddar. The funny thing about that was I think it was more of a color issue than flavor as if it wasn’t orangey enough, the customers would send it back as the wrong stuff without even trying it.
Most of the recipes for rarebit call for it to be served over toast, and a few that, like us, served it in a small casserole dish with the toast on the side. I liked this because the toast stayed crisp. We also would garnish it with a couple pieces of bacon, which I thought was a good addition.
This is one of those recipes that is easily altered, so don’t be afraid to experiment. I’m keeping to about three-quarters mild sharp to one-quarter sharp cheddar, and you might want to substitute a little smoked Gouda, as well.
As for the cayenne, add this slowly. Our crowd liked extra mild, so we used very little cayenne, but if you like spicy, add more or think of adding some jalapenos. Enjoy.
Welsh Rarebit
2 T butter
2 T flour
1/3 C whole milk
½ C beer (we used New Castle or a dark brown ale, but any darker beer you like will work)
1 t (heaping) dry mustard
½ t paprika
1/8 t cayenne
2 dashes Worcestershire
1 ¼ C mild cheddar, grated
¼ C sharp cheddar, grated
8 slices cooked bacon
1 whole egg yolk (optional but maybe a little more traditional)
Toast cut in half (we used wheat but baguettes sliced and toasted or your favorite bread would be great, too)
Cook your toast and keep warm in a low-heat oven. In a heavy saucepot, melt the butter and add the flour, stirring to make a roux. Cook on medium low heat stirring for a few minutes to slightly brown it. Add the milk and beer and whisk until smooth. Add the mustard, cayenne, paprika and Worcestershire sauce, and whisk to incorporate. Whisk in the cheese and keep whisking until smooth. If you want to add the yolk, whisk it in after all the cheese has melted.
Pour into small individual casserole dishes and crisscross two pieces of bacon on top. Serve with toast points on the side. Or, arrange toast points on a plate and spoon rarebit over it.
Smitty is a personal chef specializing in dinner parties, cooking classes and special events. Trained under Master Chef Anton Flory at Top Notch Resort in Stowe, Vt., Smitty is known for his creative use of fresh ingredients. To read archived copies of Stir it Up, visit chefsmitty.com or TheTahoeWeekly.com. Contact him at smitty@chefsmitty.com or (530) 412-3598.
