Oyster rarebit and Guinness

This is one of those rare weeks where I’ve come across four brilliant pairings that could have made the ‘match of the week’ slot but as it’s St Patrick’s Day tomorrow and I haven’t done a beer for a while I’ll go for the topical one.

I came across the dish in Wright’s Oyster and Porter House at Borough Market in London - a great hangout for any oyster enthusiast. I wouldn’t have thought you could improve on plain oysters and Guinness but adding toasted cheese to the equation gave it an extra dimension. It would be simple enough to do at home too.

The rarebit had quite a kick so I would guess was made with a quality mature cheddar and English mustard. It was cut into three strips, each with an oyster on top (possibly poached, I would guess).

The sharpness of the cheese and the brininess of the oysters both took the edge off the bitterness of the Guinness, leaving it seductively dark, soft and velvety. Other stouts should work equally well too.

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