Port And Blue Cheese Food

PORT AND BLUE CHEESE

Steps:

• In a deep saucepan combine the wine, Port, sugar, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, and lemon zest. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the sugar is melted. Simmer the pears for 10 to 20 minutes, or until they are fork tender. Remove the pears and boil the poaching liquid until it has reduced to a syrupy glaze. Stuff the pears with the cheese.
• Pour 3 tablespoons of glaze on each plate and tilt the plate to form an abstract design. Place one pear, stem end up, on each plate. Garnish with mint sprigs.
• Suggested drink: Port

BLUE CHEESE FOAM WITH PORT WINE REDUCTION

Steps:

• Put the port wine in a medium-sized saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 25 minutes or until the wine is reduced to a syrup. Remove from the heat and allow the reduction to cool. Transfer to a covered container or squeeze bottle and refrigerate until needed.
• Pour the cream into a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. As soon as the cream boils, remove from the heat.
• Add the blue cheese and using a handheld immersion blender, puree until smooth. Alternatively, transfer the cream and cheese to a food processor and process until smooth. Strain through a chinois or fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper and set aside to cool at room temperature.
• Pour the blue cheese mixture into the chilled canister of a foamer. The amount will fill it halfway. Charge it with 1 or 2 charges. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
• To serve, shake the foamer vigorously and place a little blue cheese foam on a small plate. Garnish with a drizzle of port wine reduction. If it's too thick to drizzle, let the reduction come to room temperature. Repeat to make 5 to 7 more servings.

POTTED STILTON WITH PORT AND WALNUTS

Steps:

• To make the potted Stilton, simply mash the Stilton in a bowl, add the softened butter, the mace and port and continue to stir together well.
• (Traditional potted cheese recipes tend to use unclarified butter, presumably because cheese, especially when it is aided by alcohol, needs less protection from spoilage than meat.).
• Pack into ramekins or an attractive ceramic pot/s. Melt a little butter and pour over the top of the cheese to form a thin seal.
• Scatter the walnuts over the top & press them in slightly, then leave it to set.
• Refrigerate for up to a week. Serve after dinner with crackers or hot, toasted rye bread, with a ripe pear alongside. Alternatively, try as a sandwich filling on wholemeal bread, augmented by plenty of crisp salad leaves to cut through the richness of this delicious potted cheese!

DANISH BLUE CHEESE AND PORT SPREAD

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients except walnuts in food processor. Process, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides, until the mixture is smooth and well blended.
• Refrigerate, covered, up to 2 weeks.
• Remove from the refrigerator about 1 hour before serving and stir in the walnuts when softened.
• (You may add the nuts right away if you're serving the spread within a few hours).
• Serve with bread, crackers or in pastry tartlets.

BLUE CHEESE, PORT, AND WALNUT SPREAD

Steps:

• In a food processor blend together the cheese, the butter, and the Port until the mixture is smooth and in a bowl combine well the cheese mixture and the walnuts. Transfer the spread to crocks or ramekins. The spread keeps, covered and chilled, for 3 weeks. Serve the spread with crackers.

BLUE CHEESE CRUSTED FILET MIGNON WITH PORT WINE SAUCE

Steps:

• Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and thyme. Cook, stirring constantly, until onion is tender. Stir in the beef broth, scraping any onion bits from the bottom of the pan, then stir in the port wine. Bring to a boil, and cook until the mixture has reduced to about 1/2 cup. Set aside. This may also be made ahead of time and reheated.
• Preheat oven to 350°F Heat oil in a cast-iron or other oven-safe skillet over high heat. Sear steaks quickly on both sides until brown, then place the entire pan into the oven.
• Roast steaks in the oven for about 15 minutes for medium rare, with an internal temperature of 145°F You may adjust this time to allow the steaks to finish just below your desired degree of doneness if medium is not what you prefer. Remove from the oven. Stir together the bread crumbs and blue cheese. Top each steak with a layer of this mixture.
• Preheat the oven's broiler. Place steaks under the preheated broiler until the cheese topping is browned and bubbly, 3 - 4 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with warm port wine sauce.