RAREBIT BITES

BY CHEF ALAN BIRD

SERVES: 4 PREPARATION: 15mins COOKING: 20mins
Alan Bird created this recipe when working with his friend Henk de Villiers Ferreira at Treviskers, where he serves delicious homemade snacks as an amuse bouche. Alan wanted to create a traditional English snack using our Seven Souls Dark Ale and it proved to be a huge hit – so have a go yourself and enjoy with a glass of the dark ale, too.
ingredients
method
beer pairing

CRISPY CORNISH RAREBIT  BITES

  • 110g butter, unsalted  110g flour, plain  500ml Stout or Porter
  • 400g Davidstow Cornish Extra Mature 18 month Cheddar
  • 50ml Worcestershire sauce  60g English mustard  Seasoning 
  • 500ml vegetable oil  100g panko breadcrumbs  100g plain flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 60ml milk

HOMEMADE MUSTARD MAYONNAISE

Making your own mayonnaise is one of life’s simple pleasures and gives you a sense of great self-satisfaction. I serve this particular version with my Crispy Cornish Rarebit Bites.

  • 150ml egg yolks
  • 1 tsp water
  • 25g English mustard
  • 100g Dijon mustard
  • 25ml white wine vinegar 1.125ml vegetable oil
  • 375ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 10ml lemon juice
  • Salt and pepper to taste

CRISPY CORNISH RAREBIT  BITES

  1. Melt the butter in a medium, thick-bottomed pan.
  2. Add and stir in the flour, and cook gently over a low heat to form a roux. It should have a wet sand-like texture when ready. 
  3. Gradually add the dark ale until it becomes a thick sauce consistency, then add the grated cheese and allow to melt.
  4. Add the Worcestershire sauce and, finally, the English mustard. Taste and adjust seasoning to your taste.
  5. Remove from the pan, spread onto a tray and allow to cool before refrigerating to allow to set.
  6. Next make up your crumbing ingredients: mix the eggs and milk in one shallow tray. Put the flour in a separate tray, and the breadcrumbs in another. 
  7. Mould the rarebit mix into bite-size balls (approx. 20g) and place into the flour.
  8. Shake off the excess flour before placing into the egg 
  9. mix. Ensure they are well coated, and then place into the crumbs. Shake and move around in the tray to ensure they are all coated.
  10. Heat the vegetable oil in a deep-fat fryer (or a pan twice the volume of the oil) to 190C.
  11. Check the temperature with a temperature probe, before carefully lowering a few of the rarebit balls into the hot fat. Cook until golden brown and crispy, and carefully drain on kitchen paper.
  12. Season lightly and serve with my Mustard Mayonnaise
  13. These can be frozen if not all needed at once. 

HOMEMADE MUSTARD MAYONNAISE

  1. Place the egg yolks, water and mustards in a mixer or food processor and mix well on a low speed. 
  2. Add half the white wine vinegar, increasing 
  3. the speed slowly and gradually adding the vegetable oil until it thickens. Add the rest of the vinegar towards the end and adjust with water if necessary.
  4. Season to taste, add lemon juice to finish. 
  5. Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use within two weeks.

Theakston’s Old Peculier, a Sharp's Coconut Stout or Porter.


ingredients

CRISPY CORNISH RAREBIT  BITES

  • 110g butter, unsalted  110g flour, plain  500ml Stout or Porter
  • 400g Davidstow Cornish Extra Mature 18 month Cheddar
  • 50ml Worcestershire sauce  60g English mustard  Seasoning 
  • 500ml vegetable oil  100g panko breadcrumbs  100g plain flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 60ml milk

HOMEMADE MUSTARD MAYONNAISE

Making your own mayonnaise is one of life’s simple pleasures and gives you a sense of great self-satisfaction. I serve this particular version with my Crispy Cornish Rarebit Bites.

  • 150ml egg yolks
  • 1 tsp water
  • 25g English mustard
  • 100g Dijon mustard
  • 25ml white wine vinegar 1.125ml vegetable oil
  • 375ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 10ml lemon juice
  • Salt and pepper to taste
method

CRISPY CORNISH RAREBIT  BITES

  1. Melt the butter in a medium, thick-bottomed pan.
  2. Add and stir in the flour, and cook gently over a low heat to form a roux. It should have a wet sand-like texture when ready. 
  3. Gradually add the dark ale until it becomes a thick sauce consistency, then add the grated cheese and allow to melt.
  4. Add the Worcestershire sauce and, finally, the English mustard. Taste and adjust seasoning to your taste.
  5. Remove from the pan, spread onto a tray and allow to cool before refrigerating to allow to set.
  6. Next make up your crumbing ingredients: mix the eggs and milk in one shallow tray. Put the flour in a separate tray, and the breadcrumbs in another. 
  7. Mould the rarebit mix into bite-size balls (approx. 20g) and place into the flour.
  8. Shake off the excess flour before placing into the egg 
  9. mix. Ensure they are well coated, and then place into the crumbs. Shake and move around in the tray to ensure they are all coated.
  10. Heat the vegetable oil in a deep-fat fryer (or a pan twice the volume of the oil) to 190C.
  11. Check the temperature with a temperature probe, before carefully lowering a few of the rarebit balls into the hot fat. Cook until golden brown and crispy, and carefully drain on kitchen paper.
  12. Season lightly and serve with my Mustard Mayonnaise
  13. These can be frozen if not all needed at once. 

HOMEMADE MUSTARD MAYONNAISE

  1. Place the egg yolks, water and mustards in a mixer or food processor and mix well on a low speed. 
  2. Add half the white wine vinegar, increasing 
  3. the speed slowly and gradually adding the vegetable oil until it thickens. Add the rest of the vinegar towards the end and adjust with water if necessary.
  4. Season to taste, add lemon juice to finish. 
  5. Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use within two weeks.
beer pairing

Theakston’s Old Peculier, a Sharp's Coconut Stout or Porter.