Traditionally Welsh Rarebit is made of a rich cheese and ale sauce poured over toast. For this finger food version the sauce is made less sloppy with the addition of mushrooms and yogurt while the cheese is broiled on top. Beware, the IPA in the sauce gives a bitter tang that just plain begs for a sip or two more beer to drink alongside.
| 1 | tbsp | olive oil |
| 1 | tbsp | butter |
| 16 | oz | crimini (baby bella) mushrooms (sliced) |
| 1⁄2 | tsp | paprika |
| 1⁄4 | tsp | black pepper (coarsely ground) |
| 1 | clove | garlic (minced) |
| 1⁄2 | c | Peak Organic IPA Beer |
| 1 | tbsp | thyme leaves (chopped or 1 tsp dried thyme) |
| 1 | tbsp | Dijon mustard |
| 8 | slice | French baguette (medium thickness) |
| 1⁄2 | c | Stonyfield Organic Whole Milk Plain Yogurt |
| 3 | oz | sharp cheddar cheese (about 1 and 1/2 cups loosely packed) |
Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and stir to coat. Leave the mushrooms alone for 3-4 minutes until they’ve begun to brown underneath. Stir and leave them for another few minutes. Repeat one more time until mushrooms are nice and brown all over. Remove the skillet from the heat.
Immediately add the salt, paprika, pepper and garlic. Stir for 30 seconds or so and then pour in the beer. Scrape the bottom of the skillet so that all the mushroom brownings are picked up and dissolved into the beer.
Put the skillet back onto the stove over medium-low heat. Stir and cook until most of the beer has disappeared leaving only a trace coating the mushrooms and making them glisten, 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Stir in the thyme and the mustard. Allow everything to cool down for at least 5 minutes (you can alternatively transfer it all to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days).
Meanwhile, toast the baguette slices.
Prepare the broiler: Set your broiler to high and place an oven rack as far away from the broiler’s heating coils as possible.
Stir the yogurt into the beer infused mushrooms. Arrange the baguette slices on a broiler pan. Scoop 1/8 of the mushrooms onto each slice of baguette. Top each with 1/8 of the cheese. Set the pan on the lowest rack in the oven and broil until the cheese is melted, bubbling and starting to brown on top. Pair the toasts with a fireplace, friends, laughter and several bottles of IPA to drink.
