Stilton Blue Cheese England's King Of Cheeses

 

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/

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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%

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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.

                                                               

French Bleu d'Auvergne Blue Cheese

Bleu d'Auvergne is a wonderful pasteurized cow's milk blue cheese produced in the Auvergne region of France.   Bleu d'Auvergne is an AOC (Appellation d'Origine Controlle) name controlled cheese and this assures the quality and production methods that are used to produce it.

Details: The cows in the Auvergne region graze in verdant pastures and produce large quantities of top quality milk. The method and recipe for producing Bleu d'Auvergne is centuries old and has changed little over time but there are now large producers so this blue cheese is available almost everywhere. The cheese is made into six pound wheels and is wrapped in foil. The outer surface is not really considered to be a true rind so it is edible but it is quite salty The interior paste is white or tending to light beige and will have a high concentration of blue veins.

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Flavor: Bleu d"Auvergne is a mild blue cheese so it is not nearly as sharp as Roquefort or Spanish Cabrales. You will be able to pick out hints of grass and to a lesser extent a nutty undertone.

When shopping for Bleu d'Auvergne do not purchase any that show signs reddening, browning or cracks in the outer surface. In addition ask for a small sample, if the cheese feels overly soft or has a rancid or any other odor not buy it.

If you can not find Bleu d'Auvergne good sustitutes are Maytag Blue, Spanish Picon or Fourme d'Ambert.

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How to serve Bleu d'Auvergne: It is a great addition to garden salads or blended into a vinaigrette or made into a salad dressing. It is also wonderful as an after dinner cheese served with sweet fruits.

Wine Pairings: Full bodied Rhone reds, fruity whites, sweet Sauternes, Riesling or a Sauvignon Blanc

Maytag Blue A Classic American Blue Cheese

Maytag Blue Cheese is made on the Maytag family farm in Newton Iowa and has been a prized American farmstead cheese since the early 1940's. 

 Details: Maytag Blue is made from unpasteurized cow's milk  from the Holstein - Friesian cows that graze on the farm. Each step of its production is still done by hand. The raw milk is entered into vats and rennet is added to form the curd. The curd is then ladled into hoops and formed into four pound wheels. The cheese wheels are then pierced and seeded with Penicillium Roqueforti  mold and left to age for six months in cellars on the farm. When the cheeses are fully aged they are wrapped in Maytag's iconic blue and silver foil.

 Flavor:The finished cheeses have a light straw colored paste and ample blue veining, a nice peppery zing and wonderful crumbly but creamy texture. Maytag Blue's flavor will become more assertive as it ages and this cheese holds up well so this is not a bad thing. If you enjoy Roquefort, Cabrales or Stilton give this American classic a try and I promise that you will not be disappointed.

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When shopping for Maytag Blue do not purchase any that have a grayish or pinkish tint to the paste or are excessively runny. These are signs of excessive aging and will make for a very unpleasant purchase . As noted above this cheese will hold up pretty well so wrap it in wax paper or tin foil and place it in the refrigerator but remember to keep it separated from other foods and cheeses. Maytag Blue can be found in most good cheese shops, Whole Foods and online at Amazon.

You can serve Maytag Blue crumbled over salads or melt it over grilled burgers. It also makes a great blue cheese dressing.

Wine pairing: Strong domestic reds or sweet whites like Sauternes. It also goes well with medium bodied ales.