A thick slice of toast topped with a flowing mixture of aged Cheddar melted with brown ale, English mustard, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce, then grilled until golden and bubbling. Comforting, savory, tangy.

Why this dish? Iris Murdoch had, by her own admission, an indifferent relationship with food: she favored simple meals that did not distract from conversation or work. Welsh rarebit — a melted cheese toast — was the quintessential no-fuss supper for Oxford academics, quickly prepared after a long evening of writing or philosophical discussion.

I'll confess it straight: cooking never much held me, the main point of a meal being, to my mind, what is said around it. When writing kept me late, I would melt a good piece of Cheddar in a splash of beer, a touch of mustard, and spread it over a well-toasted slice of bread. You slip it under the grill, wait for it to bubble and brown, and there you have a whole supper — hot, honest, not at all complicated. A cup of tea beside it, a friend to talk to, and the evening was perfect.

How it was made : Attested in England since the 18th century under the name 'Welsh rabbit' (later 'rarebit'), this melted cheese on toast was an economical and popular supper. In the 20th century, it appeared on pub menus and in colleges. It was traditionally prepared in a pan or over the fire, the cheese soaked with beer or ale.

The contemporary twist : Top with a poached egg to make it a 'buck rarebit', a gourmet twist that turns supper into brunch.

Sources : Constance Spry, The Constance Spry Cookery Book, 1956 · Dorothy Hartley, Food in England, 1954

Iris Murdoch · Charactorium