Fellow blogger Isitjustme did a fantastic cheese on toast recipe using Edam, spring onions and Worcestershire sauce. We got chatting about Welsh Rarebit and I’ve been doing some research. Blimey, there are some seriously strange versions out there. One of my recipe books starts it by saying ‘reduce 4 tbsp Guinness by half, add 5 tbsp double cream and reduce by two thirds’. I don’t know what you do next because that load of faffing was enough to make me close the book.

Generally all of them seem to contain some form of ale, which is a problem as there are no Real Ale drinkers in our house. Hubby likes the occasional Guinness but frankly, it’s not particularly kid-friendly. So here goes with our version:

Large knob of butter about 1 oz)
¼ pt milk
5 oz mature Wexford cheddar
1 tbsp flour
½ tsp mustard
Couple of chopped spring onions
4 thick slices of bread

So melt together the butter, milk and cubed cheddar. It goes all weird and separated but don’t worry. Add the flour and carry on heating and stirring until you get a lovely thick creamy mixture. Take it off the heat now and toast your slices of bread on one side.

So, turn over your toast and at this stage you can either add the spring onions and mustard (steady on the mustard - #1 went a bit mad and it was a tad zingy), or leave it plain. Either way, spoon onto your bread, grilling until golden and bubbly.

This was an absolute revelation. Even the Fussy King of Fussiness, #2, grudgingly admitted that his plain version was ‘okay’. High praise indeed.

Edited to read: As an afterthought, this mixture would be fantastic poured over steamed broccoli or cauliflower and grilled. Or what about in one of those huge great field mushrooms? Yum.

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