When you are considering the purchase of blue cheese you may want to investigate English Stilton. This great blue cheese is usually overlooked and under appreciated by cheese buyers because the Roqueforts , Cabrales, Valdeons and Gorgonzolas get all the attention. So we would like to shine a bright light on the magnificent blue cheese.
Stilton is known as the King of English Cheeses, and is only made in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire. It is the only English cheese protected by a certificated trade mark. The British name certification insures that the milk and the cheese manufacturing must be done in the above listed counties and that the production recipe and aging process must adhere to the guidelines established by the Stilton Cheese Makers’ Association.
Stilton is a pasteurized, firm cow’s milk cheese with a natural brushed inedible rind. It has dry rough or gritty brownish rind and an ivory colored interior paste that has large amounts of greenish-blue veins .The production of Stilton begins when a culture of Penicillium Roquefortii is added to the milk and the starter, the rennet is added a short time later. After cutting, draining, milling and salting the curds, then shaping ( into cylinders) and turning by hand, the cheeses are stored in precise conditions of temperature and humidity to produce the characteristic crust and veining. The veining is created by inserting steel needles to aid in the aeration and mold growth. The cylinders are then aged for a minimum of six months, however the best Stiltons are aged for at least12 months and have a fat content of about 55%
Well aged Stiltons exhibit an inner paste that has a crumbly yet moist and creamy texture a spicy aroma and a sharp tangy flavor. This wonderful cheese should be savored at the end of a meal with a hearty bread and red wine. Any leftovers can be added to Crème Fraiche to create a tasty spread. Try to remember that this is a strong cheese and it will overpower most other cheeses. So, when using it on a cheese platter or at a cheese tasting serve it at the end of the line.
When shopping for Stilton avoid any that have gray interior paste or that fall apart when cut. Ask your cheese monger to cut your cheese in layers not wedges, this will add eye appeal to your table setting. The condition of the outer rind will usually look unsightly but this is not really important and should not hinder you from purchasing it. Stilton should be covered with a clean damp cotton cloth and then wrapped with aluminum foil and kept in the vegetable bin in the refrigerator. If fuzzy mold develops on the rind just scrape it off .
The best brands to purchase are Long and Clawson Dairy, Cropwell Bishop Creamery, Colston Bassett and Thomas Hoe Stevenson all are readily available here in the United States.The Clawson Dairy also produces a great cheese named Huntsman for a review of this cheese go to:
Wine parings: All big reds, Bordeaux, Cotes-du Rhone, Sherry, a good Port or Madeira, also try it with a good hearty English or Irish Beer.
Taste a wedge of Stilton Cheese - the real thing - and your life will be changed. Even if you never liked Blue Cheese, you will love this one!
ReplyDeleteIt may seem odd that there is NO Farmhouse Stilton produced anymore, even though Stilton is indisputably considered the King of Cheese in Britain. Instead, the best Stilton is produced by specialists in large cheesemaking facilities in its home territory or legal domain in Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire (Robin Hood's territory).
The Stilton story began prior to 1720 and the "secret" recipe involves 2 curdling processes. The curds come from the cream from the evening milking, mixed with the full fat milk of the next morning's milking. In fact it takes 17 lbs. of milk to make one 15 lb. drum of Stilton! 200 years ago one of Stilton's respected cheesemakers, Mrs. Musson, said..."Stilton, with the exception that it makes no noise, is more trouble than babies."
When selecting Stilton, I also recommend that you look for the name Colston-Bassett - this cheesemaker is head and shoulders above the others - a stand-out among British Classic Cheeses. But in the U.S. it can be hard to find Colston-Bassett, so you would do well to select J.M. Nuttall or Cropwell Bishop as alternative choices. If you have never tried Stilton, you owe yourself and your guests, a treat. Today would be a good day to run down to your cheese shop and buy a wedge!
Cheers from the Gourmet Cheese Detective
http://www.gourmetcheesedetective.com