For me this is the perfect autumnal lunch – punchy, cheesy leek rarebit on toast. Not only does it taste great, but it’s ready in 20 minutes. Cooking down the leeks slowly makes them incredibly sweet. They are then coated in a cheesy béchamel sauce that’s enriched with Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce, as well as sharp mature cheddar. All piled onto a thick slice of sourdough toast and grilled until bubbling. This is the definition of comfort food.
Sweet autumn leeks
The leeks are the real secret here. Cooked low and slow until properly soft and sweet, they melt into the béchamel-style sauce rather than sitting on top of it, so every bite of toast gets that same rich, cheesy-leek flavour running through it. A proper rarebit sauce needs a bit of punch too – Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce do the heavy lifting, cutting through the richness of the cheddar.
It’s on the table in 20 minutes, which makes it just as suited to a quick lunch as it is to a lazy weekend brunch. Pile it onto good, thick sourdough, grill until it’s properly bubbling and starting to catch at the edges. If you want something to cut through the richness serve it with a crisp salad.
What’s rarebit I hear you ask?!
Rarebit (sometimes called Welsh rarebit) is a British dish of a rich, savoury cheese sauce – usually made with cheddar, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce – grilled on toast until bubbling and golden.This version leans further into autumn by folding in sweet, slow-cooked leeks, giving the classic sharp, punchy cheese sauce something soft and savoury to sit alongside – and it’s green!
Other things on toast
As I mostly work from home, I love to invent things to top a piece of sourdough toast that are both tasty and quick. Here are some other suggestions you might like:
- Chickpeas with spinach and feta on toast
- Squid, chorizo and tomatoes on toast
- Jammy courgettes and ricotta on sourdough
Rarebit (sometimes called Welsh rarebit) is a British dish of a rich, savoury cheese sauce – usually made with cheddar, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce – grilled on toast until bubbling and golden.
Slow cooking over a medium-low heat is what brings out the natural sweetness in the leeks, turning them soft and almost jammy rather than leaving them sharp or fibrous. It’s worth the 10 minutes.
Mature cheddar gives the best sharp, punchy flavour, but a mix of cheddar and a melty cheese like Gruyère also works well if you want extra depth.
The leek and cheese sauce can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for a day, then reheated gently before piling onto fresh toast and grilling. It’s best assembled and grilled just before serving.
Cheesy Leek Rarebit on Toast
Ingredients
- 20 g butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 leeks sliced 1/2cm / 1/4"
- 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tbsp flour
- 160 ml milk
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 60 g mature cheddar grated
- 2 thick slices of sourdough toasted
Instructions
- Melt the butter and the oil together in a non-stick pan and add the sliced leeks. Cook over a medium-low heat, stirring often, for 10 minutes until softened. The leeks should be lovely and sweet.
- Add 1 teaspoon of the thyme leaves and the tablespoon of flour. Stir to coat in the oil and butter.
- Gradually add the milk until you have a very thick béchamel mixture. Then add 1 tablespoon each of Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce.
- Stir half of the grated cheese into the sauce and cook for 2-3 minutes. Season with freshly ground black pepper and a little salt to taste.
- Put your 2 slices of toasted sourdough onto a baking tray. Pile your cheesy, leeky mixture on top. Top with the remaining grated cheese, then sprinkle with a teaspoon of thyme leaves.
- Pop under a hot grill and cook until the cheese is bubbling away and browning slightly.
- Serve immediately. If you wish, serve alongside a crisp salad and punchy vinaigrette.
Notes
- Be sure to cook the leeks for 10 minutes; you want them to be silky soft and sweet. This isn’t a dish for that sharp ‘onion’ flavour you can get from leeks.
- The slice of toast needs to be robust enough to hold up to the pile of cheesy leek sauce, which is why I suggest sourdough. But similar chunky bread would work.
- Mature cheddar gives the best sharp, punchy flavour, but a mix of cheddar and a melty cheese like Gruyère also works well if you want extra depth.