Welsh Rarebit for the Dairy Averse?

I used to love welsh rarebit. At its best, it is spicy, tangy, sour and wonderful. Soaked up with a hearty toast and served with crisp, sweet apples and a hearty ale it is, in my opinion, one of the best comfort foods found in the British Isles.

It has been several years since I have been able to enjoy Welsh Rarebit. I am what you call dairy-averse. While I may like cheese, it doesn't like me back and I have been very glad to hold an uneasy truce and keep my distance.

My aversion does not, however, extend to dairy products from goats. I was thrilled, and a little inspired, to find goat milk butter and an aged goat milk cheddar at 2Js grocery store in Great Falls this week. So here is my Crohns-friendly Welsh Rarebit:

Ingredients:

• Goat Milk Butter
• Aged Goat Milk Cheddar, shredded or finely chopped
• Goat milk or unsweetened soy milk
  
• Dark Ale (preferably homebrew; but just do what you can). Room temperature is fine.
• AP Flour
• Black Pepper (don't worry, there is plenty of NACL in the cheddar)
• Cayenne Pepper
• Sliced French Bread
• Crisp eating (not baking) apple, sliced
  

Procedure:

Toast the bread.

While the bread is toasting, melt the butter in a saucepan. Once it is melted, whisk the flour until you have a smooth roux.

Stir your roux. You don't need an excessive amount of thickener here, so cook it until it is the color of creamed coffee, or a little darker; at least 15 to 20 minutes. You will be rewarded by the flavor it will impart to the dish.

Once you have the roux the way you want it, add the cheddar and milk. Once the cheese is melted, add some homebrew. Stir until smooth and add the cayenne and grate on some fresh black pepper to taste.

Place the toast on a plate and pour the cheese mixture on the toast. Add the apples to the plate and enjoy with the remainder of the homebrew.

You will think you are in a proper Pub. Brilliant!

For those of you that can enjoy Dairy products from cows, feel free to use regular butter, cheese and milk. As always, I am not specifying amounts. Just add as much as you need (and looks right) for the number of servings you are making. Yes, I am being difficult.

UPDATE: I know, I know. I didn't add any emulsifiers. To be honest, I didn't (and still don't) think they are necessary here. My sauce was smooth enough without them. However, if you have problems, add some Dijon Mustard. It will add a welcome taste and help smooth the sauce.