Huntsman A Uniquely English Cheese

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.

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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.

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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.

English Double Gloucester Cheese Revisiting A Old Friend

Double Gloucester is a mild cheddar-like English farmhouse cheese that has been produced since the 16th century. It is made from the morning and evening milkings then the whole milk and cream from these two milkings are poured and mixed together, rennet is then added to create the curd. The curd is lightly cooked, drained and then pressed in molds to remove any excess water and whey, the resulting cheeses are set to age for about six months. There are two versions of Double Gloucester, one is white and the other light orange, the orange color comes from the addition of annatto during the mixing stage. A hard natural rind is formed that can look unsightly but it is often covered by a cloth outer layer to help keep it dry. Farmhouse made Double Gloucester almost always comes cloth bound and is usually more expensive than the plain rind cheeses made by large dairies.This cheese is also used in the production of English Huntsman cheese.

 Tasting: The flavor of Double Gloucester depends on its age therefore the older it is the more flavor it will have. The inner paste is dense and hard but not overly dry. The outer rind, which is inedible, may have spots of mold on it but this is normal and should not be looked at as a cheese gone bad. It has a buttery rich taste with hints of citrus and onion, as it ages it with have a sharper flavor and a decidedly nutty finish. This cheese should be stored in a zip lock bag in the vegetable bin of the refrigerator, this way it should last about 2 - 3 weeks, any mold that might form on it can simply be scraped away.

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When buying Double Gloucester avoid any that look overly dry or cracked.

Serve Double Gloucester as a snack with fruit and crackers, try grating into salads or over baked potatoes and pasta, it also makes great grilled cheese sandwiches and paninis.

Wine Pairing: Try it with a good Rioja or Reisling, it also goes well with hearty beers and ales

Norwegian Jarlsberg Cheese

Jarlsberg is one the most popular cheeses that are imported into the United States. This Norwegian cheese, named for the county that it is produced in, was created in 1956 from and an old 1830 Swiss recipe. Jarlsberg cheese was introduced to the world in 1961 and has become one of Norway's biggest exports throughout the world.

Jarlsberg is made from partially skimmed pasteurized cow's milk that is coagulated with animal rennet. Specially formulated bacterial cultures are added to the curds which are then pressed into cheese molds, salted, allowed to age from 1 to 15 months and then coated with an inedible yellow paraffin coating. All of these procedures are done under strict laboratory conditions and regulations. Most of the Jarlsberg that reaches our shores is aged about 3 months and has a semi-firm, smooth yellow paste that has many large and small holes throughout. 

The flavor is slightly nutty and salty with a sweet buttery smooth mouth feel. The overall flavor profile is not overly complex or strong. There is another version that is called Jarlsberg "Reserve" and it is aged from 12 to 15 months, this will have a bigger flavor and aroma, you will most likely have to ask for it by it's "Reserve" name.
When shopping for this cheese, do not purchase it if it looks dry, cracked or has any mold on it. Always try to get a small sample to taste to make sure it's flavor agrees with you.

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This is a very nice cheese to use for grilled cheese sandwiches or thinly sliced on grilled meat sandwiches and hamburgers. As a snack cheese serve it with grapes or other semi-sweet fruits. Both the regular Jarlsberg and the Reserve can be purchased without the paraffin rind coating.

Wine Paring: Light spicy whites like Alsace Sylvanner or Treminer