Friday, 8 December 2017
What does he know about Swiss Cheese, who only Swiss cheese knows?
Stilton with Port
I bought a whole head of Stilton and soaked it in the finest Port wine for a most memorable drinking session.
http://FXcuisine.com/default.asp?Display=233 via @FXcuisine
What does he know about Swiss Cheese, who only Swiss cheese knows? Last week I decided to treat a few Swiss colleagues to a British cheese for once. Stilton with port may be a thing of yesterday for the jaded palates who stroll about in Harrod's food court, but to us Swiss it still is a stunning and delicious novelty.
I bought a 17 pound head of Stilton from Clawson at my local cheesemonger's. It came wrapped in blue paper. I am sure that at Colston Basset I'd get an even better cheese, but such is the life of he who depends on imported cheese.
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Back home, I started unwrapping the giant cheese like one who acquired an ancient work of art from some remote land, sight unseen, and is about to see what is his.
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Blue Stilton cheese is a bit like a cheddar touched by the grace of penicillium roqueforti, one of my favorite fungi . It has been created in a small farm North of London sometimes during the 18th century.
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Blue cheese works best when eaten with a sweet ingredient. The French serve Roquefort with acacia honey or strawberries. The English have this unique way of serving Stilton by injecting it with Port. Although I can buy Stilton with Port in several shops here in Switzerland, I decided to do it myself for the enjoyments of my readers, and of my stomach.
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First place your cheesehead on the flattest of its two extremities, and cut off the top ...
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... so as to obtain a flat surface on top too.
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Scoop off a rill all around the top using a silver Stilton scoop if you have it (I don't).
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The cheese you have removed is called FX's share and should be sent to me for eating.
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Prick the cheese from top to bottom using a thick skewer, so that the Port will freely flow and irrigate the blue cheese veins.
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Continue to prick until you have 9 holes. In shops you will often see the port bottle stuck in the cheese upside down, like some dark traffic light. I prefer to use a funnel.
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Start pouring the port slowly.
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As long as the cheese is flat and the rill well made, you can also pour the Port directly on top.
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The cheese is full of veins and the Port will start seeping through tiny holes on the surface, like a ship taking water. You absolutely need to place the cheese in a deep bowl because most of the port will come down under the cheese, and fast too boot.
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The cheese need to be tightly wrapped in plastic foil ...
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... until it is fully covered. You need to make additional holes and pour the port that seeped through back on top several times over the course of a few days. I am told that a head of Stilton will take 2 weeks to drink a bottle of Port, considerably longer than me.
I invited a few colleagues for an early Christmas round of drinks. How surprised they were to see me donning my kitchen apron with my giant cheese!
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I sat everybody around a large table and served the Stilton with another bottle of fine Port and a huge box filled with walnuts. Each guest was given a nutcracker and a nut pick, as I presided over the session with my nut hammer. An hour well spent, no doubt.
As the session drew to an end, I sliced large pieces of Stilton and bagged them with a ladle of Port so that each guest could take home a little piece of the English countryside.
The next day, I started hearing what people had done with their Stilton. Pasta sauce was popular, a bruschetta with pears and my humble caramelized onions and Stilton quiche.