Sunday 1 March is St David’s Day. Celebrate in style with this classic Welsh dish jazzed up with sweet, buttery leek (what else?), perfect for a lazy brunch or teamed with a fresh green salad for an easygoing light lunch.
If you’d prefer to skip the beer, use vegetable stock instead.
Ingredients (serves 4)
1 leek, trimmed and finely-sliced
50g butter
50g plain flour
250ml Welsh beer
250ml Welsh cheese (eg. Black Bomber, or Collier’s Powerful Welsh Cheddar), grated
2 tsp English mustard
2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
4 thick slices of bread cut from a large white loaf
Method
Melt the butter in a small saucepan and gently sauté the sliced leek until soft and silky. Add the flour, stir well to combine, then ‘cook’ for a couple of minutes to create a roux around the leek.
Slowly add the beer, stirring all the time until you’ve created a thick but smooth sauce. Add the grated cheese, stir until melted, then add the mustard and Worcestershire Sauce and season well with black pepper.
Lightly toast and butter the bread, then top each slice with the cheesy mixture. Grill under a high heat until browned and bubbling on top and serve immediately.
