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Showing posts with label stilton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stilton. Show all posts

Friday, August 26, 2011

Stilton Blue Cheese England's King Of Cheeses

 
A photo of a wedge of English Stilton Blue Cheese
When you are considering the purchase of blue cheese you may want to investigate English Stilton blue cheese. This great blue cheese is usually overlooked and under appreciated by cheese buyers because Roquefort, Cabrales, Valdeon and Gorgonzola get all the attention. So we would like to shine a bright light on the magnificent Stilton blue cheese which is well known as the English holiday cheese. It is thought that this tradition is based around Stilton's yearly arrival in stores during the early fall and the Christmas holidays.

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/

English Cheese Sampler  at Amazon

Details: Stilton is a pasteurized, firm cow’s milk cheese with a natural brushed inedible rind. It has a 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 Stilton's are aged for at least12 months and have a fat content of about 55%



Well aged Stilton's 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. If you can not find Stilton three good substitutes are Gorgonzola, Maytag Blue and English Shropshire Blue which the same characteristics as Stilton except that an orange color instead of white.

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 . Stilton can usually be found in good cheese shops or online at Amazon. Stilton Blue Cheese

For some really great recipes using Stilton cheese check out the link.


The best brands to purchase are, Long Clawson Dairy, Cropwell Bishop Creamery, Colston Bassett and Thomas Hoe Stevenson all are readily available here in  the United States. The Long Clawson Dairy also produces a great cheese named Huntsman  which is made by cutting out sections of Double Gloucester and filling them with Stilton. 

Wine parings: All big reds, Bordeaux, Cotes-du Rhone, Sherry, a good tawny Port or Madeira, also try it with a good hearty English or Irish Beer.

                                                               

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Huntsman A Uniquely English Cheese

A photo of a wedge of five layer Huntsman Cheese on a wooden cheese board

Huntsman is a pasteurized cow's milk blue cheese made by the Long Clawson Dairy in England. It's name is trademarked but there a few imitators like Stilchester out there so always ask for the original. Huntsman is relatively new to the retail cheese world but it has acquired a large and devoted following. It is made by starting with a wheel of 36 month aged Double Gloucester and cutting out sections in the split wheel by hand. The cut out sections are then filled in by hand with 3 month aged Stilton blue cheese. This time consuming process yields a wonderful cheese that is quite unique. It presents a combination of the soft, assertive Stilton with the mild flavored, hard textured Double Gloucester. At first thought this combination really should not work, however one taste will quickly prove this line of thinking wrong.

English Cheese Sampler  at Amazon

When shopping for Huntsman first look for the Long Clawson Dairy name, then make sure that the Stilton does not look gray or overly runny and that the Double Gloucester is not dry, cracked or moldy. You may find Huntsman in three or five layer versions, both are good but think of how you plan to serve them before making a purchase. The five layer version is a bit tall so it would work well for cheese plates and the three layer version works well for cooking.

Store Huntsman wrapped in waxed paper or tin foil and covered with plastic wrap and in a separated vegetable bin. This will prevent the strong Stilton aroma and it's mold from being transferred to other foods or cheeses.

Keurig K -Cafee Coffee Maker  from Amazon
 
Huntsman is a great addition to a cheese board, it is also great melted over hamburgers, grilled steak and sliced into salads. It can be served by itself with fig paste and crusty bread as a midday snack.

Wine Pairing; Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc or sweet Ports it also pairs well with British Ales.