Tomorrow is St David’s Day, which seems to me the perfect excuse to make rarebit. My memories of it mostly revolve around a place at home in Cumbria called The Watermill – we would go there for lunch after a morning of walking, and receive the most wonderful plateful of rarebit and salads, alongside a large pot of tea. This is my version of it. If, for any reason, you haven’t had rarebit before, make tomorrow the day that you try it! It’s much more than just posh cheese on toast.

Ingredients (serves 2):
Rarebit:
– 2 slices of your favourite bread
– 20g salted butter
– 1 tbsp plain flour
– 40ml dark ale or stout
– 100g strong cheddar cheese, grated
– 1 egg yolk
– 2 tsp French mustard
– 3 tsp vegetarian Worcestershire sauce

Sesame Carrot Salad:
– 1 large carrot, peeled
– 2 tbsp olive oil
– juice ½ lemon
– ½ tsp French mustard
– ½ tsp balsamic vinegar
– 1 tbsp cider vinegar
– 1 small clove garlic, finely chopped
– handful chopped fresh parsley
– 1 tbsp sesame seeds

1. To make the rarebit, begin by lightly toasting the bread. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan; stir in the flour, then slowly add the ale. Add the cheddar, egg yolk, mustard and Worcestershire sauce along with a grind of black pepper, and cook gently until the cheese has melted.

2. Divide the cheese mixture between the two pieces of toast, then place under a hot grill until the cheese is golden and bubbling.

3. To make the sesame carrot salad, begin by coarsely grating your carrot. If you prefer, you can spiralize it – I got a spiralizer for Christmas, and this was its first outing! Shake the rest of the ingredients together in a jar, then drizzle over the carrot. Serve with the rarebit, a handful of leaves and a dollop of chutney.