Homemade Stilton Cheese Food

STEAKS AND STILTON SAUCE

Steps:

• Thirty minutes before grilling the steaks, remove them from the refrigerator and allow them to come to room temperature. Heat a grill with coals.
• When the coals are hot, spread them out in the grill in one solid layer. Pat the steaks dry on both sides with paper towels and brush each side lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper. Place the steaks on the hot grill and sear them on each side for 2 minutes, until browned. Place the lid on the grill and allow the steaks to cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, until they are cooked rare, or 120 degrees on a meat thermometer. (To test the steaks, insert the thermometer sideways to be sure you're actually testing the middle of the steak.) Remove the steaks from the grill, place them in one layer on a platter, and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Allow the steaks to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Slice and serve warm with the Stilton Sauce.
• Place the Stilton in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and blend until finely minced. Add the cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, scallions, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Process until smooth. Serve at room temperature.

STILTON DRESSING

Steps:

• Place the cheese, mayonnaise, heavy cream, vinegar, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until smooth.
• Place a wedge of lettuce on each serving plate. Pour enough dressing over the lettuce to moisten. Serve immediately.

HOMEMADE STILTON CHEESE

Steps:

• Clean all surfaces and equipment before beginning. Set up a draining station by placing a clean colander lined with the cheesecloth in the sink.
• Pour the milk into a heavy-bottomed stockpot and warm over medium heat to 86 degrees F, stirring gently. Remove from the heat.
• Add the cultures and mold to the milk. Allow them to hydrate for 2 minutes, then stir in, using an up-and-down motion.
• Add the calcium chloride solution and stir briefly. Add the rennet solution. Stir in for 20 seconds, then stop the motion of the milk but stirring the opposite direction for a moment. As you add the rennet, start a timer and watch for the flocculation point**. When reached, stop the timer. Multiply the number of minutes elapsed by 5.5. This is how long you need to wait before you cut the curd. Goal time is 90 minutes.
• At the timed moment, cut the curd into ½-inch pieces. Stir gently for 10 minutes, then let the curds settle to the bottom of the pot for another 10 minutes.
• Pour off the whey that has collected at the top of the pot, then gently pour the curds into the prepared colander. Cover the colander with additional cheesecloth or knot the corners of the cloth to form a pouch. Drain for 12 hours at room temperature.
• Afterward, open up the cheesecloth and move the drained curds to a bowl. With clean hands, break the curd into walnut-size chunks. Add half the salt to the curd chunks, toss to incorporate, then wait 2 minutes. Add the remaining salt and repeat the mixing process. The curds will taste very salty.
• After salting, fill your prepared cheese form with the curds, packing them in, using your fingertips to very gently press down on the cheese. Do not press too hard (or you will compact all the spaces where the blue mold is going to grow) but use enough pressure that the cheese starts to knit together slightly. An underpressed cheese will fall apart when flipped. Place the curd-filled form on a draining rack (such as a sushi mat).
• Keep the cheese in its form, at room temperature, for 8 to 10 hours more, flipping after 2 hours and again after 6 hours. Flipping is especially easy if you are using an open-bottomed form.
• Finally, remove the cheese from its form by gently pushing it out and onto an aging mat (such as a sushi mat). With a knife or spatula, gently smear the sides of the cheese-as though you were frosting a cake-to help fill in the gaps and to form a more closed rind. Move slowly; I know it's difficult to do because the cheese is crumbly. Move the cheese into a clean aging bin. Cover with the lid. Place the bin in a 65 degree F location for 2 to 3 days. This warmer period is important for acid development that activates the blue mold spores. Remove built-up moisture from the bin as needed.
• After 2 to 3 days, take the knitting needle and pierce the cheese a half dozen times horizontally. You can make more pierces vertically if you wish.
• Now move the bin and cheese to a cooler (50 to 55 degrees F) location. Keep the lid on the box but not locked down. Turn the cheese every 3 days. Begin to wipe the rind with your fingertips or a small piece of cheesecloth if excessive molds start to grow. Eventually, the rind will start to feel sticky and turn brown or pinkish in color.
• For extra veining, pierce the cheese again between days 10 and 14.
• Ripen the cheese for 6 to 8 weeks, flipping and maintaining the rind and moisture levels. Ripen the cheese for 3 to 5 weeks longer if aging in a refrigerator.
• Enjoy, or wrap the cheese in aluminum foil and keep in the fridge, uncut, for up to 1 month.

ENDIVE SPEARS WITH STILTON CHEESE, TOASTED PECANS, AND SAUTEED PEARS

Steps:

• In a large saute pan, over medium heat, add the butter and sugar. Add the diced pears and cook until well caramelized, approximately 8 minutes.
• In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the garlic, red wine vinegar, salt, fresh ground pepper and olive oil. Add the mixture to the Stilton. Assemble the spears 1 by 1, starting with the cheese then the sauteed pear and topping them off with a toasted pecan. These can be garnished with a sprig of watercress or other herb, if desired. Arrange the spears on a plate by first making a small mound of cream cheese and then sticking each spear into the cream cheese in a floral, 3-dimensional pattern.

BLUE STILTON SOUP

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a medium size saucepan, add the vegetables, and fry gently for 5 minutes until soft but not browned.
• Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in the stock and return to heat. Bring to a boil, stirring continuously until the soup thickens. Allow to simmer on low heat for 30 minutes.
• Cool soup slightly and press through a sieve. Return soup to pan, add the milk, and heat gently. Stir in the Stilton, salt and pepper, and heavy cream until melted. Blend soup for extra thickness.
• Do not allow soup to boil at this point, it will curdle.
• To serve, garnish with croutons.

STILTON AND POTATO SOUP WITH CHEESE CROUTONS

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a thick-based saucepan, then add the prepared vegetables and some salt, and cook gently with the lid on for 5-10 minutes to draw out the juices.
• stir in the cornflour to absorb the juices and, when smooth, gradually pour in the cider - still stirring.
• Add the chicken or vegetable stock, cover the pan and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
• Then add the milk and Stilton and re-heat, stirring, until the cheese has melted and the soup is just below boiling point.
• Taste and season with salt and pepper, then stir in the creme fraiche.
• At this stage you can purée the soup in a food processor or with a hand held blender or, if you prefer the texture of the chopped vegetables, keep it as it is.
• Serve the soup with the Parmesan croutons & the chopped chives.
• CROUTONS:.
• Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4/180C/350F or pre-heat the grill.
• Place the bread cubes in a bowl, sprinkle in the oil, then stir them around until the bread has soaked up all the oil.
• Next add the freshly grated Parmesan, and stir again till all the bread cubes are well coated.
• Spread them out over a baking sheet and either bake in the pre-heated oven for 10 minutes, or else place them under the pre-heated grill, turning as necessary. (If you use the grill, watch them VERY CAREFULLY as they can burn very easily.).
• The croutons can be made well in advance and stored in an airtight tin for up to two weeks.

STILTON CHEESE PUFFS

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
• Combine beer, butter, and salt in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart heavy saucepan and bring to a full boil over high heat, stirring until butter is melted. Reduce heat to moderate and add flour all at once, then cook, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon, until mixture pulls away from side of pan, about 30 seconds. Continue to cook, stirring and flattening batter against bottom of pan, until excess moisture is evaporated and a film forms on bottom of pan. Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes.
• Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well with wooden spoon after each addition. (Batter will appear to separate initially but will become smooth once beaten.) Add cheese and stir until combined well.
• Spoon batter into pastry bag. Line a large baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper, then secure parchment by piping a dab of batter under each corner. Pipe approximately 3-inch lengths of batter 1 inch apart on baking sheet, making about 40 total.
• Bake until puffed, golden, and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

BROCCOLI & STILTON SOUP

Steps:

• Heat 2 tbsp rapeseed oil in a large saucepan and then add 1 finely chopped onion. Cook on a medium heat until soft. Add a splash of water if the onion starts to catch.
• Add 1 sliced celery stick, 1 sliced leek, 1 diced medium potato and a knob of butter. Stir until melted, then cover with a lid. Allow to sweat for 5 minutes then remove the lid.
• Pour in 1l of chicken or vegetable stock and add any chunky bits of stalk from 1 head of broccoli. Cook for 10-15 minutes until all the vegetables are soft.
• Add the rest of the roughly chopped broccoli and cook for a further 5 minutes.
• Carefully transfer to a blender and blitz until smooth.
• Stir in 140g crumbled stilton, allowing a few lumps to remain. Season with black pepper and serve.

STILTON CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Set oven at 325 degrees F.
• Combine melted butter and crushed cookies in a bowl until mixed and press into the bottom of a 9-inch spring-form pan.
• Crumble Stilton into a bowl.
• Add cream cheese and sugar, then beat with an electric mixer until well blended.
• Beat in eggs, one at a time until smooth and creamy.
• Add vanilla.
• Stir in flour, sour cream and dry vermouth or lemon juice until well blended.
• Pour cheese mixture over crust.
• Bake in oven for 1 hour, or until firm.
• Turn off heat and let cake cool in oven for 1 hour.
• Cool on wire rack 1 hour and cover pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Loosen cake from spring-form side with a narrow knife and remove side when ready to serve.
• (This cheese cake freezes well).

ROYAL STILTON CHEESE SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large saucepan over a low heat.
• Add onions, potatoes, red pepper flakes and garlic, cook, stirring until onions are clear .
• Add stock and bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
• Place soup in a food processor or blender with half the bacon and process until smooth .
• Pour cream into a saucepan, stir in the mustard and bring to a boil stirring constantly.
• Reduce heat and simmer for about 4 - 5 minutes.
• Slowly add the crumbled cheese, stirring until melted.
• Season to taste with the tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.
• Sprinkle with remaining bacon and Stilton cheese and serve.

STEAKS WITH STILTON CHEESE SAUCE

Steps:

• Grill or broil steaks to your liking.
• Melt butter in saucepan and cook onion until soft.
• Add sherry and boil to reduce slightly.
• Add cream and boil for one(1) minute.
• Stir in Stilton Cheese and chives.
• Serve steaks with sauce, baby red potatoes and fresh or frozen green beans.