'When we first started Wright’s we pretty much wanted to be a food store first and an eating place a distant second. I didn’t turn out that way naturally, but that was the plan.
The notion we had was to offer just a few really good sandwiches, a couple of them hot and the rarebit was the first to be piloted. It seemed to make sense.
We made a pretty classic rarebit mix, as you’ll see, and then experimented with chilling it down so it could be sliced to order, whacked in between some of our own ciabatta with some fried leek and then grilled in butter.
We have never used anything but Hafod cheddar in this sandwich. It wouldn’t be the same without it.' - Maryann Wright, co-founder
INGREDIENTS
Makes enough for around 4 sandwiches
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2 tbsp stout
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1/4 tbsp English mustard powder
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90 g butter
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1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
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500g Hafod cheddar, grated
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2 eggs
- 2 ciabattas loaves, cut in half to make 4 sandwiches (sourdough works well too)
- 2 leeks
METHOD
Put the stout and mustard powder into a saucepan over a medium heat and make a roux to cook out the mustard.
Add the butter and melt. Add the Worcestershire sauce, lower the heat before adding the cheese and finally adding in the eggs, stirring together until it looks like a thick cheese sauce. Chill and set in a Tupperware or lined loaf tin.
Whilst the rarebit mixture is cooling, clean and finely chop your leeks. Cook the leeks down in butter until they are soft (around 10-15 minutes)
Cut your ciabatta loaf into 4 equal sandwiches, and add a slice of your chilled rarebit with some of your cooked leeks to each one.
Butter the outside of the sandwich then cook on a lightly oiled griddle pan on alternate sides until golden.
You can serve with or without nduja, a spreadable chorizo, which you can squish in the middle and cook in the same way. Some folks like a dollop of Tomato Catsup on the side…
