This has been served as a farmhouse supper dish since the Middle Ages, and still makes a nice precursor to a Christmas Eve meal. Here, mild cheddar has been substituted for the Gloucester (pronounced: GLOSS-ter) cheese to accommodate American tastes (and because imported Gloucester is expensive), but if you wish to be 100% authentic, you can get double Gloucester cheese (which has a very strong, sharp taste) at most grocery stores with an international cheese selection. I have found it difficult to find single Gloucester, which is supposed to be milder.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1/2 lb mild Cheddar, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon prepared English Mustard (prepared from dry or potted)
- 1/2 cup brown ale
- 4 thick slices of wholewheat bread (artisan-type bread recommended)
PREPARATION:
Arrange slices of cheese in bottom of a large but shallow ovenproof dish and spread the prepared mustard over the top. Pour in just enough of the ale to cover the cheese. Cover with foil and bake in preheated 375° oven for about ten minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Meanwhile, toast the bread. Top bread with melted cheese and serve immediately, with brown ale as a beverage, if you like. The toast may also be sectioned before the cheese is added, so as to be divided up between more than four persons.
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