n--when it's
cold it's cold all over, and you can't resuscitate it by heating.

BASIC WELSH RABBIT

No. 1 (with beer)

2 tablespoons butter
3 cups grated old Cheddar
1/2 teaspoon English dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
A dash of cayenne
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten with
1/2 cup light beer or ale
4 slices hot buttered toast

Over boiling water melt butter and cheese together, stirring
steadily with a wooden (or other tasteless) spoon in one
direction only. Add seasonings and do not interrupt your rhythmic
stirring, as you pour in a bit at a time of the beer-and-egg
mixture until it's all used up.

It may take many minutes of constant stirring to achieve the
essential creamy thickness and then some more to slick it out as
smooth as velvet.

Keep it piping hot but don't let it bubble, for a boiled Rabbit
is a spoiled Rabbit. Only unremitting stirring (and the best of
cheese) will keep it from curdling, getting stringy or rubbery.
Pour the Rabbit generously over crisp, freshly buttered toast
and serve instantly on hot plates.

Usually crusts are cut off the bread before toasting, and some
aesthetes toast one side only, spreading the toasted side with cold
butter for taste contrast. Lay the toast on the hot plate, buttered
side down, and pour the Rabbit over the porous untoasted side so it
can soak in. (This is recommended in Lady Llanover's recipe, which
appears on page 52 of this book.)

Although the original bread for Rabbit toast was white, there is now
no limit in choice among whole wheat, graham, rolls, muffins, buns,
croutons and crackers, to infinity.

No. 2 (with milk)

For a rich milk Rabbit use 1/2 cup thin cream, evaporated milk,
whole milk or buttermilk, instead of beer as in No. 1. Then, to
keep everything bland, cut down the mustard by half or leave
it out, and use paprika in place of cayenne. As in No. 1, the
use of Worcestershire sauce is optional, although our feeling is
that any spirited Rabbit would resent its being left out.

Either of these basic recipes can be made without eggs, and more
cheaply, although the beaten egg is a guarantee against stringiness.
When the egg is missing, we are sad to record that a teaspoon or so of
cornstarch generally takes its place.

Rabbiteers are of two minds about fast and slow heating and stirring,
so you'll have to adjust that to your own experienc