Scots Rabbit: 2 Ways by Ali Stoner
Welsh rarebit is the well-known version, but Scotland has a version too, and the old way of referring to it is ‘Scots rabbit’. ‘Rabbit’ morphed into ‘rarebit’ in later years. This is a kind of cheat’s version, based on the one my mum used to make for me. There’s no roux involved, it’s simply a cheese paste bound with mayo and whisky (Mum would use milk when she made it for us kids). It really takes me back and I’ve still not learned to leave it until it has cooled, so it burns the roof of my mouth every time!
Serves 2
Classic Version
Ingredients:
For the paste:
- 140g (5oz) cheese (I used smoked and vintage Cheddar), finely grated
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Greek/natural yogurt
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon whisky
To serve
- 2 slices of good sourdough bread
- Butter and mayonnaise, for spreading
- Pickles of your choice
Method:
1. Mix all the paste ingredients together.
2. Spread the pieces of sourdough with butter and mayonnaise on one side and toast, spread-side down, in a hot ovenproof frying pan until crisp and golden. You can use a burger press to ensure good contact with the pan for an even golden, toasty base.
3. Meanwhile, preheat the grill to high. Top the toasts with the cheese paste on the untoasted side, spreading it to the edges, then finish under the hot grill until golden and blistered.
4. Remove to a board and leave for 5 minutes. Not only is it scalding hot, but the cheese paste is in a liquid state at this point and needs to rest.
5. Cut into pieces and enjoy with your favourite pickles for breakfast, lunch, dinner or any time!
Beetroot and Blue Cheese Version
Ingredients:
For the paste
- 1 cooked (not pickled) beetroot (around 100g/3½oz)
- 50g (1¾oz) Cheddar cheese, grated
- 50g (1¾oz) soft blue cheese, crumbled
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
To serve:
- 2 slices of good sourdough bread
- Butter and mayonnaise, for spreading
- 1 apple, julienned and mixed with the juice of 1 lemon and a pinch of salt
- 4–6 walnuts, broken up
Method:
1. Finely grate the beetroot into a bowl, then add the grated cheddar, crumbled blue cheese and the mayo. Mix thoroughly, mashing the blue cheese into the mixture until it’s well combined and you have a pink paste.
2. Spread the pieces of sourdough with butter and mayonnaise on one side and toast, spread-side down, in a hot ovenproof frying pan until crisp and golden.
3. Meanwhile, preheat the grill to high.
4. Top the toasts with the beetroot paste on the untoasted side, spreading it to the edges, then finish under the hot grill until the top is bubbling, golden and blistered.
5. Remove to plates, cut in half and top with the apple and walnut pieces.
You can purchase a copy of SCRAN here from 10th Sep 2026.
Ali is doing a demo of other tasty recipes from the book at our Cookery School on Wednesday 9th Sep. View and book the demo here.
