Welsh Rarebit sounds exotic, but it's simply a cheese sauce on toast. I don't mean "simply" as a negative connotation at all, as I've discovered that often the simplest recipes are the best.

Welsh Rarebit gets its name quite literally from the words rare (meaning very lightly cooked) and bit (a small piece or portion). There's no rabbit at all.

• 4 slices toasted bread (traditionally sliced on the diagonal)
• 1 cup grated Sharp Cheddar cheese
• 5 tablespoons dark ale
• 2 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus salt to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper, plus pepper to taste
• Pinch of cayenne pepper

Toast your bread as you deem appropriate, either via the broiler or your everyday handy toaster. If you use your broiler to toast your bread, leave it on, as you'll need it for the final step.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the Cheddar and the dark ale. When the cheese melts, add the butter, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire Sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and the cayenne, and whisk together until evenly melted and combined, 1-2 minutes.

Arrange the toast around the edges on a flameproof platter. Pour the cheese mixture over the toasts so they are covered completely. Place the platter under the broiler and broil until the cheese bubbles and starts to scorch in places, about 2 minutes. Remove from the broiler.

Serves 2