In need of comfort this week? I assume you’ve had a glance at the news, so… here’s a recipe for some curried rarebits. Fancy cheese on toast won’t solve big problems, but it can’t hurt now, can it? Lap up the glimmers where you can, friends. It’s pretty much all we can do. I feel a little paralysed by it all, to be honest. Not just the latest news, but the onslaught of recent years. People recommend keeping distance from it as a cure for this, but I’m a hopeless news junkie, unfortunately, caught in limbo between its irresistible draw and the realities that await. Podcasts, papers, analysis, I can’t get enough. If this is also you, I find the ‘comedy’ news podcasts immensely relieving (Page 94 from Private Eye being the best of them, imo). So, the amount of news (plus a big, fat behind-the-scenes project I’ve been working on, plus plentiful commissions which I am TRULY, MADLY, DEEPLY thankful for, always) does mean I don’t have much to say to you this week beyond: toast. It’s what we’ll be celebrating this month, and it will encompass, of course, Things on Toast, but also croutons, crumbs, you get the idea. The bread is toasted. Toast is one of life’s most reliable and accessible comforts: undemanding, cheap and guaranteed to please. Most people reach for the loaf very first thing, and/or late at night when anything more elaborate is out of the question. But of course, toast can slip seamlessly into any meal. Add a mug of tea, and you’ve got an unbeatable combo. I always think rarebit is a faff, but it’s actually quick to make. The topping only takes five minutes, and then it’s, well, it’s toast, isn’t it. I like to make mine into a nice thick paste to stop it running off too much under the grill, and I’ve added curry powder, chilli flakes and coriander. Also: speedy pickled onions, which you can make a jar of, then keep in the fridge - they’ll last for a week, and you can put them on everything. As you can see, I loaded the toast with an inch-thick foundation of rarebit putty, directly in proportion to my needs at the time. You could take a more restrained approach, in which case the mix will, obviously, go further. Here’s a pic of a more reigned-in version to prove I’m not (always) an animal. Had two pieces instead of one, though, didn’t I. The mixture will keep for three days in the fridge, for sustained, reliable solace. Helen x
Comforting Curried Rarebits Sturdy sliced bread, such as sourdough or another thickly sliced loaf (basically don’t use supermarket ready-sliced as it won’t be able to take the load) Quick-pickled onions Make the quick-pickled onions by mixing the tap hot water, sugar, salt and vinegar until everything is dissolved. Add the onions and set aside. Store the onions in the fridge for a week or so. Make the rarebit topping by melting the butter and, when foaming, adding the flour. Cook out gently, mixing, for a couple of minutes. Gradually add the ale, mixing all the time, until smooth. Bring to a simmer and cook the mixture gently for 5 minutes, stirring continuously. Melt in the cheese, then add the mustard, curry powder and Worcestershire. Allow to cool to room temperature so that you can spread it on as a paste. Toast the bread on both sides, then spread with the rarebit mixture, sprinkle with chilli flakes and pop back under the grill until bubbling - this only takes a minute or so. Top with coriander and some quick-pickled onions.
Until next time, Flavour Fans x
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Tuesday, March 3, 2026
Flavour Nugget #69: Comforting curried rarebits
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