Welsh Rarebit Poutine (Cheesy Pub-Style Comfort Food)

 

 

If you're in the mood for something fun, comforting, and a little bit cheeky, this Welsh Rarebit Poutine is the kind of dish that will make you smile even before you take the first bite. It starts with a batch of hot crispy fries, topped with bits of cheese, melting from the heat of the fries and ends up with a delicious drenching of a rich velvety Welsh Rarebit cheese sauce.

Traditionally Welsh Rarebit is spooned over hot toast as  classic British pub fare. This is not that and I don't apologize one bit. Instead what you have here is a mix of two classic delicious comfort foods, married together  a playful fusion that turns simple fries into something that is indulgent and irresistible!

 

I will probably get under the skin of two cultures by posting this fusion recipe, but that's okay. Somethings are just so delicious that they deserve to be shared and this is one of them. This recipe is, in short, phenomenal!  I kid you not.

I first saw this recipe here quite a while back and I bookmarked it to make one day. It combined two of my favorite things, Welsh Rarebit and Canadian Poutine, in a most delicious looking way. I knew that it was something I was going to want to try. 

I did make some changes to the recipe. First, I cut the recipe basically in half as I just did not need anything that decadent in such a large quantity. Truthfully I cut it in half yet again to make only two servings, but am giving you the four serving sized recipe here today.

Secondly I made my own air fryer chips. I love making my own chips/French fries in the air fryer. They are healthier and they taste better in my opinion. Plus they don't take up precious room in the freezer.

For the cheese I had a bit of cheese left from when my sister and I visited the cheese farm a few months back. A five year aged cheddar. It has the most beautiful flavor with a rich and creamy texture. You want to use a well flavored cheddar for this.

Finally I did not use beer. I know beer is traditional for a rarebit, but it is just not something I keep in my home. I made an excellent substitute using chicken stock and a bit of cider vinegar to add some of the sharpness associated with beer and I have to say it worked excellently.

I did not have any cheese curds. (I know what was I thinking!)  I did have a nice block of Emmenthaler cheese, which is Swiss. Sweet and nutty. I cut a bit of that into small cubes and layers it on top of the chips for the last five minutes of their cook time. This was an excellent choice. Nice cheese string and the flavor was really good.

The end result was a dish that is truly amazing. I don't think I have tasted anything half this good in quite some time. I was wishing that I had someone here to share it with, it was that good! I highly recommend that you run into the kitchen and start making this now!! I promise you that you won't regret it!

🥔💛INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE WELSH RAREBIT POUTINE🥔💛

These are pretty simple ingredients. If you use the best that you can afford to buy you are going to be amazed at the deliciousness of this dish.

• 1 1/2 TBS (12 g) plain all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 TBS (21g) salted butter
• 3/4 cup of chicken stock, remove 1 TBS and add 1 TBS of apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 tsp coarse black pepper
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1/2 TBS Dijon mustard
• 1/2 TBS Worcestershire sauce
• pinch of nutmeg
• 4 ounces (100g) sharp/strong white cheddar cheese, grated
• 14 ounces (3/4 pound/396g) of frozen French fries, cooked or a double recipe of my Air Fryer Chips (I highly recommend!)
• fresh cheese curds to your taste (optional)

🥔💛INGREDIENTS NOTES🥔💛

All-Purpose Plain Flour

This forms the base of the roux - a classic thickener for the cheese sauce. Flour cooked with butter gives the sauce body and prevents any flour taste.

Salted Butter

Melted with the flour to create the roux, this adds a richness and helps to develop that nutty golden flavor when cooked properly.

Chicken Stock and Vinegar

I used this in place of beer. This adds a depth, bitterness, and complexity to the sauce, and works very well for those who do not want to use alcohol. If you don't have a problem with alcohol, by all means replace it with beer, a dry apple cider, or even a dry white wine.

Black Pepper, Cayenne and Nutmeg

These seasonings give the sauce warmth and a gentle kick. Cayenne adds a subtle heat that works well with the richness of the cheese.

Dijon Mustard

A classic component of Welsh Rarebit, mustard adds a tanginess and sharpness, cutting through the creamy cheese and giving the sauce it's signature flavour.

Worcestershire Sauce

Adds a savoury depth and umami. It's essential for achieving that traditional pub-style rarebit taste.

Strong/Sharp White Cheddar Cheese

This is the star of the show. Sharp cheddar melts smoothly and gives the sauce it's bold, tangy, deeply savoury flavor. DO grate your own and use a good quality cheddar. This is essential.

French Fries

This is the base of the Poutine. You can use a good crispy frozen fry, crispy and seasoned work well, or you can make my recipe for Air Fryer Chips. I highly recommend that. It's what I used. You will need to double it for four servings.

Cheese Curds

These add extra texture and richness. I did not have cheese curds on the day so I used a good Emmenthal cheese, cut into small cubes. It was excellent.

🥔💛HOW TO MAKE WELSH RAREBIT POUTINE🥔💛

As simple as cooking some oven chips and creating a delicious cheese sauce to spoon over top.

1. Cook your chips/fries according to the package directions or my directions while you are making the cheese sauce. (I used my homemade version of oven chips made in the air fryer. They are delicious.)
2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Whisk until the mixture smells nutty and turns a golden brown. (Keep whisking it to keep it moving and prevent it from burning. It should only be a light brown with all of the flour flavour cooked out.)
3. Whisk in the chicken stock and vinegar mixture. Add the Worcestershire sauce, mustard, pepper, cayenne and nutmeg. Heat to a simmer. (I use my small wire whisk for all of the whisking. It does a great job. It will thicken only slightly and thicken more when you add the cheese.)
4. Add the cheddar, whisking it in well until it melts. Reduce the heat to low and keep on a simmer for about 5 minutes, whisking occasionally. This will really develop the flavors of the sauce. (If you are going to keep it for very long, take it off the heat and then gently reheat it.)
5. If you are adding cheese curds, add them to the fries for the last five minutes of cooking. (I just sprinkled the cubes over top.)
6. Divide the hot fries (with the melted cheese curds) to four heated plates and drizzle the rarebit cheese sauce over top. Enjoy immediately. (These are the best!)

 

🥔💛HINTS AND TIPS FOR SUCCESS🥔💛

Cook your roux long enough for a nutty golden flavour

The roux is the foundation of the sauce - make sure you whisk the butter and flour until it turns golden and smells slightly nutty. This will ensure that any raw flour flavour is gone and it will give the sauce a richness and depth.

Add the liquid (Stock or Beer) slowly and whisk well

Pouring the liquid in slowly as you whisk ensures a smooth velvety sauce and prevents lumps.

Don't skip the seasoning

All of the seasonings help to build the signature flavour.  Pepper, cayenne, mustard, Worcestershire and nutmeg all contribute to the bold, classic Welsh Rarebit taste. Adding them before the cheese allows the flavours to bloom properly.

Use sharp cheddar for the best flavor

Sharp cheddar melts beautifully and gives the sauce its robust tangy flavor. Its essential to achieving that traditional rarebit profile.

Let the sauce simmer until fully developed

After adding the cheese, continue cooking until everything has melted and the flavours have all melded to a rich and cohesive sauce. What you are looking for is something rich and silky.

Serve immediately for the best texture

Welsh rarebit sauce is at it's peak when hot and freshly melted. Drizzle it over the fries right before serving for maximum creaminess and crisp-to-soft contrast.

 

🥔💛FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS🥔💛 

WHAT IS WELSH RAREBIT?

Welsh Rarebit is a traditional Welsh dish composed of a rich and robust cheese sauce made from a roux. It's traditionally served over toasted bread as classic British pub fare dating back to the 1700's.

HOW IS THIS RECIPE DIFFERENT FROM TRADITIONAL POUTINE?

Traditional poutine uses fries, cheese curds, and brown gravy. This version replaces the gravy with a rich Welsh Rarebit cheese sauce.

IS IT OKAY TO USE BEER INSTEAD OF THE CHICKEN STOCK/VINEGAR MIXTURE?

By all means. The original recipe uses beer. I switched it out because beer is not something I have in my home. You could also use wine or apple cider.

WHAT KIND OF FRIES WORK BEST?

You can use seasoned frozen fries for more layers of flavor, or plain frozen fries. I used my homemade Air Fryer Chips and they were excellent.

CAN I CUSTOMIZE THIS RECIPE?

By all means. You can add crispy bacon, fried onions, crispy fried onions, whatever you think you will enjoy along with the fries and rarebit sauce.

 

🥔💛A FEW MORE POTATO RECIPES TO ENJOY🥔💛

If, like me, the potato is your favorite vegetable you might also enjoy the following tasty recipes.

RUSTIC SMASHED RED POTATOES - These are like a smashed mashed potato, meant to be rustic and creamy all at the same time. This totally works. Red skinned potatoes, well-scrubbed, are simmered in water along with salt and a bay leaf until fork tender. They are then drained well and mashed together with a bit of creamed cheese, butter and chives or spring onions. The end result is a potato dish that practically melts in the mouth with tastiness.  These go well with just about anything! I highly recommend!

FONDANT POTATOES - These have a beautiful buttery golden brown surface, but the interior is buttery and melt-in-the-mouth tasty. This is achieved by poaching them slowly in a rich chicken stock until tender and then finishing them off by frying them in a chef's kiss of butter, garlic and herbs until golden brown and crisp on the outside. These are considered party-fare and are very indulgent and elegant. Perfect for celebratory meals and holidays. This is a very classic recipe.

 

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Yield: makes 4 servings

Author: Marie Rayner

Welsh Rarebit Poutine

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 30 Min

Prepare to fall in love. This traditionally delicious Canadian dish just got a million times better.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 TBS (12 g) plain all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 TBS (21g) salted butter
• 3/4 cup of chicken stock, remove 1 TBS and add 1 TBS of apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 tsp coarse black pepper
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1/2 TBS Dijon mustard
• 1/2 TBS Worcestershire sauce
• pinch of nutmeg
• 4 ounces (100g) sharp/strong white cheddar cheese, grated
• 14 ounces (3/4 pound/396g) of frozen French fries, cooked or a double recipe of my Air Fryer Chips (I highly recommend!)
• fresh cheese curds to your taste (optional)

Instructions

1. Cook your chips/fries according to the package directions or my directions while you are making the cheese sauce.
2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Whisk until the mixture smells nutty and turns a golden brown.
3. Whisk in the chicken stock and vinegar mixture. Add the Worcestershire sauce, mustard, pepper, cayenne and nutmeg. Heat to a simmer.
4. Add the cheddar, whisking it in well until it melts. Reduce the heat to low and keep on a simmer for about 5 minutes, whisking occasionally. This will really develop the flavors of the sauce.
5. If you are adding cheese curds, add them to the fries for the last five minutes of cooking.
6. Divide the hot fries (with the melted cheese curds) to four heated plates and drizzle the rarebit cheese sauce over top. Enjoy immediately.

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