Kamil Perry
Blue cheese is a versatile ingredient that can be used in a variety of dishes, from salads to burgers. Its unique flavour and texture make it a popular choice for adding depth and creaminess to both sweet and savoury dishes. While blue cheese is known for its crumbly texture, it can be melted to make sauces or to top dishes like steak or grilled cheese. Melting blue cheese can be done in various ways, including heating it with butter and cream in a saucepan or blending it with other ingredients like mayonnaise and sour cream.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Cheese type | Blue cheese |
| Cheese texture | Crumbly |
| Cheese meltability | Does not melt as readily as other cheeses |
| Cheese when heated | Softens and becomes creamy |
| Cheese flavor | Bold, salty, pungent, sharp |
| Cheese color | Blue specks |
| Cheese mold | Penicillium roqueforti |
| Cheese source | Cow, sheep, or goat's milk |
| Melting methods | Heating in cream, butter, or mayo |
| Melting applications | Sauce, dip, grilled cheese, burger topping, salad topping, dessert |
| Popular varieties | Gorgonzola, Cashel blue, buttermilk blue, Maytag blue |
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What You'll Learn
Melting blue cheese in a pan
Blue cheese is a versatile ingredient that can be used in a variety of dishes, from salads to burgers to grilled cheese sandwiches. Melting blue cheese in a pan is a simple process that can add a bold, creamy, and tangy flavour to your meal. Here is a step-by-step guide to melting blue cheese in a pan:
Prepare the Ingredients:
First, gather your ingredients. You will need blue cheese, of course, and some butter. You can use any variety of blue cheese, such as Stilton, Roquefort, Gorgonzola, or any other that you prefer. Other optional ingredients include shallots, garlic, cream, and seasonings like black pepper and Worcestershire sauce.
Melt the Butter:
Place a sauce pan or frying pan on medium heat and add butter. Allow the butter to melt completely. You can adjust the amount of butter according to your preference, but generally, a few tablespoons should be sufficient.
Add Aromatics (Optional):
If you're using shallots and garlic, this is the time to add them to the pan. Finely chop or slice the shallots and add them to the melted butter. Cook the shallots for around 3-4 minutes until they soften and become translucent. Then, add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
Add Blue Cheese:
Now it's time to add the star ingredient—the blue cheese! Crumble the blue cheese into the pan, using a spoon or fork to mash it into the butter and create a paste-like consistency. If you're not using aromatics, simply start with this step by adding the crumbled blue cheese directly to your heated pan and stirring until melted.
Stir and Melt:
Continue to stir the blue cheese and butter mixture until the cheese has completely melted. This should only take a few minutes. If you're using cream, add it at this stage and heat the mixture until just before it comes to a boil. Stir continuously to prevent the mixture from burning or sticking to the pan.
Season and Serve:
Once the blue cheese has melted to your desired consistency, you can season it with black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, or other herbs and spices of your choice. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Finally, serve your melted blue cheese immediately. It goes well with steak, burgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, or even as a dip for potato wedges!
Remember, blue cheese has a strong flavour, so a little goes a long way. Feel free to adjust the quantities and ingredients to suit your taste preferences. Enjoy your melted blue cheese creation!
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Using blue cheese in a sauce
Blue cheese is a versatile ingredient that can be used in a variety of dishes, from salads to burgers and steaks. When melted, it can be used as a sauce or a dip. Here are some tips and ideas for using blue cheese in a sauce:
Choosing the Right Blue Cheese
Not all blue cheeses are created equal when it comes to melting. For the best melting results, opt for varieties like Gorgonzola, Cabreles, Cashel blue, buttermilk blue, or Maytag blue. These cheeses tend to have softer and creamier textures, making them ideal for creating smooth and creamy sauces.
Melting Blue Cheese
To melt blue cheese into a sauce, start by warming heavy cream in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir constantly to prevent the cream from burning or curdling. Once the cream has thickened, add your chosen blue cheese. Use a fork to mash and stir the cheese into the cream until it melts and forms a smooth paste.
Adding Flavour
Blue cheese has a strong, salty, and tangy flavour, so it's important to balance it with other ingredients. You can add minced garlic, shallots, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, ground mustard powder, or salt to taste. If you want a creamier sauce, blend it with an immersion blender or food processor.
Serving Suggestions
Blue cheese sauce is commonly served with steak, burgers, chicken wings, or vegetables. It can be drizzled over grilled meat or used as a spread on sandwiches. The sauce is best served fresh, but leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. Simply reheat it gently on the stove over low heat, being careful not to let it boil.
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Adding to a grilled cheese sandwich
Blue cheese is a versatile ingredient that can be melted and added to a grilled cheese sandwich for a sophisticated depth of flavour. To make a grilled cheese sandwich with blue cheese, follow these steps:
First, choose your bread. Sourdough, thick-cut sweet Hawaiian bread, or any good, crusty bread will work well. You can spread the outside of the bread with mayonnaise instead of butter—this will help the bread brown better and give it a richer flavour.
Next, prepare your blue cheese. Mild, soft, and creamy blue cheeses are best for grilled cheese sandwiches. You can freeze soft blue cheeses before grating them to avoid a mess. Grate the cheese enough to create a small mound on one slice of bread, generally 1 to 2 ounces. You can also add other cheeses, such as sharp cheddar or Havarti, to enhance the flavour and melting capability.
Now, assemble your sandwich. Spread a layer of Dijon mustard on the inside of one slice of bread. Place your grated cheese on top, and close the sandwich with the other slice of bread, mayonnaise side out.
Finally, grill your sandwich. Use a cast-iron skillet to achieve a gorgeous golden exterior and a melty centre. Grill the sandwich until the bread is crisp and golden, and the blue cheese has melted.
Serve your grilled blue cheese sandwich with a side of tomato soup, and enjoy the perfect combination of crispy bread and gooey, flavourful cheese.
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As a topping for steak
Blue cheese is a popular topping for steak, and it's easy to see why. The bold, salty flavour of blue cheese pairs beautifully with the savoury, umami notes of steak. Plus, blue cheese has a soft texture that melts quickly and easily, making it ideal for creating a decadent topping that oozes over your steak.
When choosing a blue cheese for your steak topping, consider a variety that has a soft, creamy texture, as these melt particularly well. Popular options include Gorgonzola, Cashel Blue, Buttermilk Blue, and Maytag Blue. If you're looking for a blue cheese that strikes a balance between rich and creamy, St. Agur is a good choice.
To prepare your steak, start by taking it out of the fridge 30 minutes beforehand to bring it to room temperature. Pat the steak dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture, then season generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Drizzle with olive oil to coat the surface.
Heat a heavy-bottomed pan to the highest temperature. Once the pan is smoking hot, add the steak. For a medium-rare steak that's approximately 2-2.5 cm thick, cook for about 2 minutes on each side or until the desired doneness is achieved. Adjust the cooking time accordingly for thicker cuts of steak or if you prefer your steak rare or well-done.
Now, let's talk about melting that delicious blue cheese. There are a few methods you can use, depending on the desired consistency and presentation. If you want a creamy blue cheese sauce, warm some heavy cream in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Once the cream has thickened, add your chosen blue cheese, mashing and stirring until melted. You can also add other ingredients like Worcestershire sauce, herbs, garlic, or butter to enhance the flavour. Continue simmering until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
If you prefer a more decadent, oozing blue cheese topping, try this method: after removing the steak from the pan, lower the heat to medium and add butter, herbs, and garlic to the pan. Baste the steak with the melted butter mixture for a minute or so. Then, remove the steak from the pan and set it aside to rest. Scrape up any flavourful bits from the pan, add cream, and stir until combined. Finally, stir in your crumbled blue cheese until melted. This method incorporates the juices and flavours from the steak into your blue cheese topping, creating an explosion of flavour.
For a simpler approach, you can also melt blue cheese directly on top of the steak. After removing the steak from the pan, top it with crumbled blue cheese and place it under the grill for a minute or two until the cheese melts. This method ensures the flavours of the steak and cheese meld together beautifully.
Whether you choose a creamy sauce, a pan-melted topping, or a simple grilled melt, always serve your blue cheese-topped steak while the cheese is still warm and melty. Enjoy the indulgent, savoury goodness of your perfectly cooked steak with melted blue cheese!
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Making a dip
Making a Blue Cheese Dip
Blue cheese has a soft texture and melts quickly and completely. It is best to use a mild blue cheese, such as Gorgonzola, which has a very creamy texture and is not as pungent as some other blue cheeses.
To make a blue cheese dip, you can combine the cheese with a variety of ingredients, such as cream cheese, Greek yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, hot sauce, paprika, onion powder, and season with salt and pepper. You can also add chives or green onions to taste.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Combine the cream cheese, Greek yogurt, garlic, three-quarters of the sliced scallions, lemon juice, hot sauce, paprika, onion powder, and season with salt and pepper in a food processor.
- Puree until the dip is smooth.
- Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and fold in three-quarters of the crumbled blue cheese.
- Season with more salt and/or pepper if needed.
- Spoon the mixture into a small baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining blue cheese.
- Bake for about 25 minutes, until the dip is browning on top, bubbling around the edges, and warmed through.
- Top with the remaining sliced scallions and serve immediately with celery, carrots, crackers, or bread.
Note that blue cheese dip is best served immediately, but leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to four days.
If you are looking for a smoother, more liquid dip, you may need to use processed cheese or add milk to prevent the cheese from becoming too thick and stringy when melted.
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Frequently asked questions
Gorgonzola and Cabrales blue cheese are ideal for melting. Buttermilk blue is also a good option.
You can melt blue cheese in a sauce by heating cream over gentle heat and stirring in the blue cheese until smooth. You can also melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add chopped shallots, stir in blue cheese crumbles until a paste forms, and then stir in heavy cream.
Blue cheese melts quickly and completely due to its soft texture.
You can make a variety of dishes with melted blue cheese, including grilled cheese, burgers, salads, and pasta. You can also use it as a dip or dessert.
