Recipe: WELSH RAREBIT WITH HAM AND WATERCRESS

Title: WELSH RAREBIT WITH HAM AND WATERCRESS
Categories: Cheese, Ham
Yield: 6 servings

-------------------------------RAREBIT (SAUCE-------------------------------
2 Eggs, at room temperature
6 oz Bottled beer or ale
3/4 lb Cheddar cheese, coarse shred
1 1/2 T Butter or margarine
3/4 t Dry mustard
3/4 t Worcestershire sauce
1/8 t Tabasco sauce

------------------------------------BASE------------------------------------
2 sl Homebaked Bread, toasted
4 sl Black Forest Ham

-----------------------------VEGETABLE FILLING-----------------------------
1 1/2 c Watercress, fresh
1/4 c Green Pepper, julienne

----------------------------------GARNISH----------------------------------
Tomato slices, thin

1. Beat eggs until well blended.
2. Stir remaining sauce ingredients, together with the eggs, in a
double-boiler. The type of beer used is a personal preference. A variety
beer such as an imported German, British, etc beer is recommended so as to
make the recipe less ordinary. A Pilsener or Lager may add more foam to
the mixture and make the rarebit lighter in texture.
3. Bring a double-boiler to the boil then reduce heat to medium to heat
mixture. Leave mixture uncovered and stir mixture thoroughly about once
every minute.
4. When the desired consistency is achieved, Beat mixture with rotary
beater or electric mixer until very smooth. Leave in double-boiler to
maintain temperature.
5. Toast bread slices. Home-made bread, sliced slightly thicker than
commercial bread, is preferrable. Variety home-made breads would vary
texture and flavour.
6. Drape 1 to 2 slices of Black Forest Ham (or alternative delicatessen
meat slices) over toasted bread. Place on dinner plate and set in warming
oven approx 10 min. prior to serving.
7. Steam watercress with julienne green peppers until heated through.
These vegetables should be as close to uncooked as possible, although
heated. Microwave may be utilized (approx 2 min at high). Wild watercress
would enhance flavour.
8. Mound a portion of watercress and green pepper in the middle of the ham
slices on the serving plates. Ladle a generous amount of the rarebit over
the vegetables, ham and toast - allowing it to flow to cover the plate
bottom. Accent plate by dropping thinly sliced uncooked tomato on the top
of each mound.