OVERVIEW
Rarebit – a combination of cheese, ale and mustard grilled on toast – is one of Britain’s great savouries and has been a staple of pubs, inns and bars for centuries. This Cornish version takes that tradition and gives it a Big Green Egg twist. Sweet white and brown crab are folded through a rich rarebit mixture before being grilled over charcoal until bubbling and golden. Finished with sharp pickled red onion, it’s the perfect snack to share with a cold beer in hand.
PREPARE THE PICKLES
Place the sliced red onion into a bowl. Bring the cider vinegar, water, sugar and salt to a simmer. Pour over the onion and leave to pickle while you prepare the rest of the dish. For the thyme oil, place the olive oil and thyme into a small saucepan. Warm gently until fragrant. Remove from the heat, leave to infuse for 30 minutes, then strain.
SET UP YOUR EGG
Set up Big Green Egg for direct cooking, The target temperature is 200°C.
MAKE THE RAREBIT
Place a cast iron saucepan directly onto the grill. Melt the butter and stir in the flour. Cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the ale until smooth. Add the soy sauce, Marmite and cider vinegar. Stir in the Cheddar and mustard powder until melted and thickened. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Whisk in the egg yolks, then fold through the white and brown crab meat.
Brush the sourdough slices with thyme oil. Place onto the grill and cook until lightly charred and golden on both sides.
SWITCH YOUR SETUP
Switch your EGG to an indirect setup, with the ConvEGGtor in a legs-up position topped with the Stainless Steel Grid.
Spread the crab rarebit mixture generously over the toasted sourdough. Return to the Big Green Egg and cook for 5-7 minutes until bubbling, golden and lightly caramelised. Place the crab rarebits onto serving plates. Drain the pickled red onion and pile generously over the top. Serve immediately.
