Cheese on Toast Revisited
My version of a cheese and bacon toastie….
Here’s a simple dish I’ve put on the bar and brasserie menu in the Lake District, simple but bloody lovely even if I say so myself.
First of all I wanted to offer something which anyone fresh (or knackered) from a day’s fell walking could enjoy with a pint of local ale, something with guts.
Cheese toasties are classic student fodder, cheap white sliced bread and cheap plastic cheese. Burn bread, scrape off black bits, slap cheese in the middle and eat the lot without chewing properly, leave plate next to tv and spend last of student loan in the pub. Job done!
Not so quick! Mine takes a little longer but it’s worth the effort. It’s based on the classic welsh rarebit and the equally impressive croque monsieur. I’ve written about a similar toastie before called the croque madam which contains an element of ‘piggy in the middle’, much like this one.
First of all find yourself a good loaf of bread, something crusty that you can slice big chunks from, I use a French style campagne boule which is a round, crusty number, perfect for the job. Next is a decent wedge of cheese, not any old cheese please (rhymes!) In the Lakes I use a fine Kendal Crumbly, use a mature hard cheese, a good cheddar does the job everytime but a Lancashire is just as good.
Now you need to make a thick bechamel or white sauce, if you want a white sauce recipe just let me know. I flavour my white sauce with a rounded spoon of English mustard, plenty of cheese, nutmeg, salt, white pepper, the ubiquitos onion studded with a bay leaf and a clove or two and last but not least a glug of Lea & Perrins.
Make it thick and cool it down on a tray, you can cut it into the required shape, even freeze it. Toast your bread on both sides, rub with a little olive oil and season with a little rock salt and pepper. Smear the cheese sauce on top, sprinkle generously with extra grated cheese and glaze under a hot grill until meltingly hot. Whilst all of this is doing its thing cook some very nice slices of streaky bacon, treat yourself to some good slices, it’s worth it. Cook them until nice an crisp and place on top, eat with the gusto it deserves….
That’s all well and good but there’s one thing missing, a bottle of England’s finest; Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce. Don’t be shy, splash it all over as a former English boxer once got paid to say…..
NB How to pronounce worcestershire sauce like an Englishman: Many outside the UK (i.e 90% of my chefs) seem to have difficulty pronouncing this one, here goes:
“Wuss te cher”
Chef,
I was reading this post and looking for:
last but not least a glug of Lea & Perrins.
An essential ingredient fo rso many things
Looks delicious
Rod
March 4, 2009 @ 9:20 am
Miles,
I am just off looking for a Fell to walk in to become eligible to eat this very tasty looking morsel. Gosh, it does look good.
Thanks for the tip to freeze some of the sauce as it would be too much even for Mr. Nean and I to eat at any one time.
Elsie
March 4, 2009 @ 10:08 am
It certainly looks and sounds appealing, Miles. Worcestershire goes sooo well with so many different foods. I’ve heard it being pronounced in the strangest of ways as well, although the most common (locally) is Wooster. Kinda reminds me of Wodehouse’s Bertie Wooster and his love of fine food.
March 4, 2009 @ 11:33 am
Miles,
You’re really tuned into showcasing some good “comfort food” lately. We all need it with what’s going on with the economy.
I have a question and am assuming you have your bottle handy, Miles. I have never used worchestershire sauce and am not even sure I’ve ever tasted it. I just checked the L & P website and couldn’t find an ingredient list anywhere. Does it contain gluten? What is it made of?
I rarely eat bacon, but the slices you have pictured here look wonderful. I agree, buy the good stuff and just eat less of it.
Loved your “before” and “after” version. Before being the student version, after being the more mature option.
As always, good post. Now I’m hungry — this sounds like good breakfast fare as well. Of which I’m ready for right now, although I’m not sure this would be a good choice before my 5:30 AM power yoga class.
:-)
Melissa
March 4, 2009 @ 12:14 pm
Melissa,
Vinegar, molasses, HFCS, anchovies, water, onions, salt, garlic, tamarind concentrate, cloves, “natural flavorings”, and chili pepper extract. I use it by the gallon - from a simple cocktail sauce and flavoring burgers to almost any marinade - great stuff.
Miles,
I make an Ale / Coleman’s Welsh Rarebit with bacon for the kids (alright, for myself) but yours sounds great.
March 4, 2009 @ 1:57 pm
Xenny
I pronounce it like ‘wuster’ if you like as well - as as Bertie Wooster.
Interestingly a saw an original letter written by PG Wodehouse in which he wrote:
‘In answer the the 2 most asked questions I receive it’s Wooster as in sauce and Wode as in tree’
Thereby also clearly up the prenounciation of his own name (Woodhouse) and Berties (Wus not Woo)
Cheers
Rod
March 4, 2009 @ 3:12 pm
Dave,
Thanks for the information, I appreciate it. Tamarind — I wasn’t familiar with that, but checked online. Hmmm, I always learn something new on Miles’ blog.
:-)
Melissa
March 4, 2009 @ 5:03 pm
Rod,
Cant beat the old Lea and P can you?
Miles
March 4, 2009 @ 5:12 pm
Elsie,
Glad you like it, try some different cheese to mix things up a bit.
Miles
March 4, 2009 @ 5:13 pm
Xenny,
It’s not bad in a bloody mary either
Miles
March 4, 2009 @ 5:14 pm
Melissa,
They’ve got it in Manhattan! Thanks Dave!
Miles
March 4, 2009 @ 5:15 pm
Dave,
Now you’re talking, anything with ale in it is alright by me.
Sounds great.
Miles
March 4, 2009 @ 5:16 pm
Miles
I saw a ’special edition’ LP in Sainsbury’s today - extra matured etc etc - looked the business !
It fell outside my budget so I had to leave it but you could afford it
Rod
PS: lobbed a load in a Spag Bol about an hour ago !
March 4, 2009 @ 6:06 pm
Rod,
Remind me nearer Christmas time, I’ll see what I can do. No promises mind
March 4, 2009 @ 8:59 pm