Banana Bread
Crab rarebit with pickled spring vegetables
Tom Brown's fun twist on a classic Welsh Rarebit makes a great summer lunch for friends and family.
Ingredients:
- 50ml/2fl oz white wine vinegar
- 50ml/2fl oz white wine
- 30g/1oz caster sugar
- 2 spring carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
- 8 radishes, trimmed and quartered
- 1 banana shallot, peeled and cut into rings
- 50g/1¾oz unsalted butter
- 50g/1¾oz plain flour
- 200ml/7fl oz cornish amber ale, or any good ale
- 300g/10½oz mature cheddar, grated
- 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp english mustard
- 2 tbsp brown crab meat
- 4 thick slices white bread
- 120g/4½oz white crab meat
- olive oil, for drizzling
- ½ lemon, juice only
- small handful fresh flatleaf parsley
Directions:
- To make the pickled vegetables, bring the vinegar, wine and sugar to the boil in a saucepan. Remove from the heat and add the vegetables. Leave to cool and pickle – you can leave these overnight if you want, or eat them as soon as the rarebit is ready.
- To make the rarebit, melt the butter in a frying pan, add the flour, stir and cook for a minute to make a roux. Add the ale and gently cook until it reduces to a thick sauce. Stir in the cheese, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and brown crab meat and beat until the cheese is melted.
- Preheat the grill to the hottest setting. Toast the bread. Spread the crab rarebit mixture onto the toast and place under the hot grill until caramelised.
- To serve, top the rarebit slices with the white crab meat, a good drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. Serve with the pickled vegetables and fresh parsley.