Welsh Rarebit, which adorably was originally spelled as “Welsh Rabbit”(do not fear! – no rabbits were harmed during the making of this recipe), is a yummy comfort food dish that consists of toasted bread topped with a cheesy sauce that is typically flavored with beer, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. What gets more comfort food-y than beer-spiked, cheese-covered carbs?
Kyle had an excellent Welsh Rarebit at Dandelion in Philly a couple years ago and wanted to create a gluten-free recipe for it for the blog. However, the most he could come up with was making a sauce and just serving it over gluten-free bread, which wasn’t very creative or inspiring. Still yummy though….
Finally, inspiration came while he was vacationing in Dublin and eating at the Legal Eagle, a cool gastro-pub that feature “nose-to-tail” cooking, in which every part of their meats and produce are utilized in their menu. Their approach to food and cooking feature some creative takes on classic British and Irish fare, such as haggis flatbread, rabbit croquettes, and steak and kidney (and bone marrow!) pie, but the one side dish that really grabbed Kyle’s attention: cauliflower rarebit!
The light bulb starting glowing over Kyle’s head as he realized roasted cauliflower would make the perfect vessel for the cheesy mustard sauce. The cauliflower rarebit was the last of a long list of menu items ordered while at the Legal Eagle in Dublin. When their food arrived, the cauliflower rarebit was served as roasted florets topped with the cheese sauce and gratineed, like an amped-up Cauliflower Cheese (for which we already have a recipe in the archives), so Kyle wanted to take the cauliflower concept in a slightly different direction.
For this recipe the cauliflower was sliced and roasted into “steaks”, which could then be served as an appetizer, side dish, or main course. Just a little side story – Kyle’s brother – who is decidedly not vegetarian had his first experience with these cauliflower steaks when he saw them listed on the menu at a local steakhouse. Thinking they were traditional beef steaks with some type of cauliflower puree, he excitedly ordered them for dinner. Much to his shock and dismay, a giant slab of cauliflower was placed in front of him when the entrees arrived. He still hasn’t gotten over it. Awww…sounds delicious to me though!
Sweet white rice flour was used in place of all-purpose flour to thicken the cheese sauce (a gluten-free trick that he now swears by!). If you can find a good dark GF beer, use that, but Beef Stock makes a great (and more readily available) gluten-free base for the sauce as well.
If you’re looking to make the sauce gluten-free AND vegetarian, use a good veggie stock (our Ridiculously Simple Mushroom Stock would impart a savory, meaty flavor without the, well, meat).
Hopefully, our cold Spring nights will come to an end in the coming weeks and the lovely weather the season ususally provides us shall be upon us very soon. Even though the Welsh Rarebit is a delicious meal or appetizer at anytime of the year, it sure would make a hearty comfort food dish on these remaining chilly nights while Winter is still hanging on for just a bit longer. Enjoy!
Sauce adapted from Alton Brown.
- 1 large head cauliflower, sliced lengthwise through the core into 4 “steaks”
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- For the Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ cup beef stock (or gluten-free dark beer)
- 6 ounces (approximately 1½ cups) shredded Cheddar
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Place cauliflower steaks on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper. Roast cauliflower steaks for 15 minutes. Turn over each steak and continue roasting until tender and golden, 15 to 20 minutes more.
- While the cauliflower steaks roast, prepare the sauce. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and whisk in the sweet white rice flour. Cook, whisking constantly for 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper until smooth. Add beef stock and whisk to combine. Cook another 2 to 3 minutes, until mixture begins to thicken. Gradually add cheese, stirring constantly, until cheese melts and sauce is smooth; this will take 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the cheese sauce from the heat.
- Once the cauliflower steaks have roasted, remove them from the oven and preheat the broiler to high. Spread equal amounts of the cheese sauce over each cauliflower steak. Place under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes (check every 30 seconds or so to make sure they don’t burn), until the cheese sauce has browned. Serve immediately.
Leave a Reply