Welsh Rabbit Toast to Queen Buddug by Tom Motley
As we hadn’t expected to be able to get together for a couple of days, my son Ben pleasantly surprised me by arriving late at night on the 25th. Becca had already turned in, so Ben and I stayed up till the wee hours, solving the problems of the world, remembering past holidays and loved ones, and enjoying tasty victuals and cheerful libations.
Out of nostalgia, and a nod to our Welsh heritage, we made our favorite late-night grilled-cheese sandwiches: a slice of English cheddar (if you can’t find white Welsh cheddar), another of Tillamook Natural American, on real sourdough bread (buttered on both sides) grilled on a heavy iron skillet.
In one way or another, all grilled cheese sandwiches are a nod to Welsh culture; well, a nod to Welsh Rabbit, anyway. Perhaps the term was used long ago as a reference to laws prohibiting crofters to hunt and eat the Lord of the Manor’s rabbits. Its origin is simply unknown. Cheese may have been the substitute protein for the unattainable bunny. In any event, rabbit is to Welsh Rabbit as turtle is to turtle soup. Let me pause here, to emphasize an important point. The point is that the wretched term Welsh Rarebit is meaningless, probably a misspelling first recorded around 1800, and renewed with fervor as a twentieth century overly sensitive, politically correct (albeit inventive) alternative to the truth. Let us never mention the illegitimate thing again.
Welsh Rabbit has been around since long before the Norman invasion. Buddug, as her Welsh family and descendants fondly called her, was none other than Queen Boadicea. You know the rest of the story. In AD 60, the recently arrived Romans were attacking the island of Anglesey and the Northwest coast of Wales.
Queen Buddug was enjoying a tasty bit of Welsh Rabbit to toast in the New Year, surrounded by her best Celtic captains, including her brave daughters. Word of the Roman advance reached her ears. A gourmand, Buddug took a moment to relish the last of her toast, and then shouted “gwybod!”
The rest is history. Fortified by Welsh Rabbit, Buddug and her troops slaughtered many thousands of Roman soldiers and destroyed Roman military towns all the way to the coast, including the burning of Colchester, London, and St. Albans (modern names). Queen Buddug simply made toast of the Romans.
With a recipe probably first stolen from Queen Buddug’s commissary chef, a version of Welsh Rabbit is included in Cato’s On Agriculture, arguably the first cookbook. Among the many recipes Cato sited, Ancient Roman Libum, a baked or toasted cheese and bread mixture, was included. Libum could be carried cold, as fast-food by soldiers, or served hot for more formal dining. Roman nobility drizzled honey over the dish, thus prompting contemporary cheesecake lovers to claim it as their own. I rather think its virtues of nourishment and portability preceded its transition into dessert.
Essentially, Welsh Rabbit is a dish made with a savory sauce of melted cheddar cheese and other ingredients, then poured hot over slices of toast. French chefs have long loved the dish, publishing the recipe as early as 1814. It’s not much of a stretch to go from Welsh rabbit to fondue. See the excellent summary of Welsh Rabbit provenance in The Penguin Companion to Food (Alan Davidson, 2002).
The sauce for Welsh Rabbit may include beer, mustard, herbs, eggs, paprika, chili powder, tomato puree, Worcestershire, or other savory concoctions. Topped with an egg, the dish is called “Buck Rabbit.” With tomato, it becomes “Blushing Bunny.” Two delicious and clearly described recipes are included in Rombauer’s Joy of Cooking. See your bookshelf.
To orchestrate your own “Welsh Rabbit Toast to Queen Buddug Celebration,” my son has a couple of libation suggestions. In the spirit of full disclosure, Ben Motley (Dallas Beer Guru) already advises many of you about awesome beer and wine food pairings during your visits to Central Market at Lovers and Greenville.
Whether you’re composing a full-blown Welsh Rabbit dish or its simple cousin, the grilled cheese sandwich, Ben suggests either of two local brews that match perfectly: Community Beer Company’s ‘Trinity’ Triple (pale, but with substantial malt) or Lakewood Brewing’s Vienna Lager (amber).
Lastly, as you ring in the New Year, savoring Welsh Rabbit and good, local beers, Google “Winsor McCay”. McCay, a famous early twentieth century cartoonist, has long been the favorite of all master illustrators, including R Crumb and Maurice Sendak. Among McCay’s many ingenious creations is the irreverent comic strip, Dreams of a Welsh Rarebit Fiend. Viewing the hilarious scenes of misery experienced by McCay’s over-indulgent Welsh Rabbit hounds will provide plenty of empathetic companions for readers who celebrate to excess. Cheers!