Cheese as a main course is a good idea. When one of the best food blogs posted a recipe for Welsh rarebit dinner for Tuesday night was decided. I wont go into great detail about the recipe because you can easily find it through the link. Consider this a review rather than a how to.
The ease of the meal was perfect for a work night where my petite copine had to hurry out the door to book group. It took about an hour from start to finish with minimal clean up. I had most of the ingredients on hand and only needed to pick up the Brussels sprouts. I made the bread from scratch the day before and had the dough ready to go in the fridge so I called ahead and had the my petite copine pull it out and let it begin proofing on my way home from work.
The results were an excellent and simple dinner. The rarebit was sharp and pungent. The fresh from the oven, made from scratch artisan bread provided crunch to accompany the soft slightly bitter flavor from the rarebit. The ability to vary the recipes is one of rarebit's great features. I could easily see me using different Cheddars, spices or beers(cider would offer a sweeter version) to make the dish all of which would alter the flavor.
The Brussels sprouts were tender and fresh. The required no more seasoning than some Kosher salt and some of the residual rarebit. The natural flavor of the sprout provided a clean refresher in between the sharp heady flavor of the rarebit, while its normal bitter flavor made it fit with the over all taste of the meal. If time were not an option I might have used olive oil, rather than safflower oil, and roasted the sprouts lower and slower with garlic and/or fennel to provide a more complex side dish.
The Brussels sprouts were tender and fresh. The required no more seasoning than some Kosher salt and some of the residual rarebit. The natural flavor of the sprout provided a clean refresher in between the sharp heady flavor of the rarebit, while its normal bitter flavor made it fit with the over all taste of the meal. If time were not an option I might have used olive oil, rather than safflower oil, and roasted the sprouts lower and slower with garlic and/or fennel to provide a more complex side dish.Over all the meal was filling and incredibly satisfying. It makes for the a perfect work night meal. A simple meal that fulfills winter's need for comfort food.
