Baking the Rarebit bit

[soupyspoon]

Have I imagined this but I thought that when making rarebit, the sauce bit of it, is made up on the hob, then put in a small bread tin in the oven to bake and then when you put it on the bread, you slice it off and layer it on the bread and then put the bread under the grill

I know this isnt how its done now but when I first learned about this, there were recipes setting that process out but I cant find them now. Im talking about 30 years ago.

I have never heard of it been done that way.
I mix grated cheese, w'shire sauce, , English mustard, stout and finely diced onion and put it all on very thick sliced bread that's already been toasted on the other side and pit it under the grill.

I think the last time I made it was over 30 years ago, & I've certainly never heard of that method.
Seems a bit pointless, and warming up the oven plus cooking time is a needless expense.

Its more about the flavour, Ive seen pictures of it being sliced up.

Never heard of that, but when I first got together with dp about 500 years ago, his dad would always do the same thing for his Saturday night tea - baked potatoes served with a huge block of cheddar that he baked in the oven and then sliced up.

I think its more that it turns into a solid 'bake' because of the flour and egg yolk which is then cooled down so that its hard enough to slice and then put on the bread under the grill, I dont know where Ive seen this

What recipe do you use? I haven't seen one that uses flour , but I will occasionally use egg in mine.

I havent cooked it for years so not using any recipe now but when I used to do it, it was a roux base, so involved flour

Aha!! AI has helped me, I knew I hadnt imagined it and I thought I had asked about this in a restaurant somewhere, or even just a cafe somewhere as well as seen it written down

That sounds like you’re describing a potted rarebit or a rarebit terrine approach. While it isn’t the "standard" way most people make it at home today, it is actually a very traditional method used by high-end hotels and professional kitchens to ensure consistency and speed.
Here is why that method exists and how it works:
The "Cold-Set" Rarebit Method
In professional cooking, this is often called a Rarebit Compound. Instead of making the sauce and pouring it immediately, you treat it like a savory custard or a firm pâté.

• The Roux Base: You start with a very thick roux and add significantly less liquid (beer/milk) than a pourable sauce.
• The Setting Agent: As the mixture cools—especially with high-fat cheddar and sometimes an extra egg yolk—it solidifies into a fudge-like consistency.
• The "Loaf" Technique: By chilling it in a lined loaf tin or rolling it into a log (ballotine style), you can slice off perfect, uniform rounds or rectangles.

Why do it this way?

1. Precision: You get an even thickness every time. No sauce running off the edges of the toast into the bottom of the oven.
2. The "Lift": When a cold slice of rarebit hits a hot piece of toast under a broiler (grill), the air trapped in the cold roux expands. This causes the rarebit to puff up and souffle slightly rather than just melting flat.
3. Storage: It keeps in the fridge for up to a week. You just "slice and go" whenever the craving hits.