Patrick Oconnell
Blue cheese is a notoriously pungent and funky ingredient, but what can you pair with it? The strong nature and acidity of blue cheese lend themselves to sweeter pairings, like honey, chocolate, and fruit compotes. Traditional fruit pairings include pear, apple, and fig, while nuts and crackers are also a great way to enjoy blue cheese. If you're feeling adventurous, blue cheese can be paired with meat, especially steak and beef.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Food pairings | Salads, sandwiches, burgers, pizzas, steak, chicken wings, pasta, bread, crackers, nuts, fruits, chocolate, honey, tea, coffee |
| Wine pairings | Rich, sweet, sticky, fortified, fruity, bright, funky |
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What You'll Learn
Blue cheese with fruits and nuts
Blue cheese is a strong-flavoured, pungent cheese with a bold acidity that pairs well with sweeter foods. Traditional fruit pairings include fresh figs, pears, apples, persimmons, and dried fruits such as apricots, raisins, and cranberries. These fruits can be sliced and served with blue cheese, or used in a salad, such as Chef Nicolaus Balla's beet and blue cheese salad with scallions, herbs, and red wine.
Blue cheese also pairs well with nuts, including walnuts, candied walnuts, and cashews. A more elaborate pairing is a spinach-based lasagne with layers of sautéed spinach, garlic, and red pepper flakes, a blue cheese béchamel, hard-boiled eggs, mozzarella, and cashews.
Sweet foods such as honey, chocolate, and gingerbread cookies also pair well with blue cheese. For a more savoury option, blue cheese can be paired with crackers, bread, or baguette, and butter.
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Blue cheese with meat
Blue cheese is a strong and pungent ingredient that can add a punch of flavour to many dishes. Its natural meatiness makes it a great pairing with red meat, especially beef. Here are some ideas for how to incorporate blue cheese with meat:
Steak Frites
The classic French dish of steak and chips is elevated by the addition of blue cheese. Try a creamy blue cheese sauce drizzled over your steak, or a hunk of melted blue cheese on top. The sharpness of the cheese will cut through the richness of the meat. For an extra indulgent touch, serve your steak frites with a side of Roquefort sauce.
Burgers
Blue cheese is a popular topping for burgers, adding a tangy twist. Try crumbling the cheese over the patty, or melting it into the meat. For an extra-indulgent bite, pair the blue cheese with some crispy bacon.
Salads
Blue cheese is a great addition to a meaty salad. Try it with chicken, or for a vegetarian option, use spinach and pasta. The sharp flavour of blue cheese will complement the other ingredients and bring the dish together.
Sandwiches
Blue cheese can be a delicious addition to a sandwich, especially when paired with red meat. Try a roast beef sandwich with creamy blue cheese, or a French dip sandwich with melted blue cheese and thinly sliced roast beef.
Meat and Cheese Platters
Blue cheese is a great addition to a meat and cheese platter, especially when paired with beef. Try slicing up some steak or roast beef and arranging it on a platter with blue cheese, crackers, and a selection of sweet and salty items.
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Blue cheese with crackers and bread
Blue cheese is a strong and pungent cheese with a bold acidity, so it is best paired with sweeter items. When it comes to crackers and bread, there are a few options to consider.
First, a good-quality cracker can be the perfect base for blue cheese. Whole grain or rice crackers pair well with blue cheese, providing a crunchy texture to complement the creaminess of the cheese. You can also add some dried fruits, such as apricots or raisins, or fresh fruits like pears or apples, to create a delightful combination of sweet and savoury. If you're feeling indulgent, try drizzling some honey on top—the sweetness of the honey will beautifully counteract the saltiness of the blue cheese.
If you're in the mood for something more substantial, a crusty baguette or a slice of fresh, crunchy bread can be a great base for your blue cheese. Layer on some tempered butter to mellow out the boldness of the cheese, and then add thick slices of blue cheese on top. You can also experiment with different types of bread, such as focaccia or flatbread, to add variety to your blue cheese experience.
For a more indulgent option, try a blue cheese grilled cheese sandwich. Spread some butter on the outside of two slices of bread and layer blue cheese, caramelised onions, and sliced pears on the inside. Grill the sandwich until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted. This combination of sweet and savoury will tantalise your taste buds and take your blue cheese experience to the next level.
Lastly, don't be afraid to experiment with different types of crackers and breads. Oatcakes, crostini, and polenta are all potential options to pair with blue cheese. You can also try adding other ingredients, such as nuts, chutneys, or jams, to create unique and personalised flavour profiles. The key is to find a balance between the boldness of the blue cheese and the sweetness or savouriness of the accompanying items.
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Blue cheese with drinks
Blue cheese is a bold cheese and its beverage pairings must be chosen carefully so as not to be overpowered. The most well-known beverage pairing with blue cheese is the classic combination of stilton and port. Other classic wine pairings include roquefort and Sauternes, and barleywine. In general, wines with a touch of sweetness work well with blue cheese, as the bitterness of the veining in blue cheese is offset by dessert or fortified wines. A blue cheese and fresh fig salad pairs well with a smooth Italian white wine like a Gavi di Gavi, which would also complement a blue cheese-topped pizza. Southern Italian reds like negroamaro or nero d’avola, or a zinfandel would also work well with blue cheese. Beyond classic wine pairings, blue cheese can be enjoyed with a wide range of beverages, including brandy, beer, and even coffee.
When it comes to beer, blue cheeses pair well with dark beers with roasted flavours, such as stouts and porters. These beers complement the creaminess of full-fat blue cheese and help moderate the acidic "blue attack". Complex brews like bourbon barrel-aged stouts offer sweetness, chocolate, and vanilla, and sometimes a "complementary smokiness". Strong IPAs like Lagunitas Hop Stoopid and Belgian strong golden ales like Duvel and the American Golden Monkey also pair nicely with blue cheese, as long as the intensity of the beer matches the intensity of the cheese.
Blue cheese can also be paired with cocktails. A gin and tonic, for example, brings out lovely floral notes in blue cheese. A gin sour, made with lemon juice and egg whites, also pairs well with blue cheese, as the lemon juice adds acidity and the egg whites add froth to the cocktail. An Old Fashioned is another excellent choice, as its sweetness and caramel notes complement blue cheese. Similarly, a Manhattan cocktail, which is similar to an Old Fashioned, is a perfect match for blue cheese, as the sharp taste of the mold is muted.
In addition to the above, blue cheese pairs surprisingly well with vodka. A rich blue cheese with a standard vodka drink like Tito's soda with lime is a heavenly combination. The hint of lime and the rich pungency of the blue cheese enhance the vodka's bitters.
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Blue cheese in cooking
Blue cheese is a versatile ingredient that can be used in a variety of dishes to add a punch of flavour. Here are some ideas for using blue cheese in cooking:
Salads
Blue cheese is a popular addition to salads, providing a tangy and creamy element. Try adding blue cheese crumbles to a salad with autumn/winter fruits like persimmons, pears, or apples. For a more substantial salad, include chicken breast, pine nuts, cream cheese, and spinach. Another option is to make a beet and blue cheese salad, with scallions, herbs, and red wine vinaigrette.
Sandwiches and Burgers
The sharp flavour of blue cheese pairs well with the sweetness of caramelised onions. Try making a burger with blue cheese and a port reduction, or a sandwich with grilled steak, blue cheese, and caramelised onions. For a vegetarian option, stuff a hollowed-out pickled cherry pepper with blue cheese and wrap it in prosciutto.
Pasta and Lasagna
Blue cheese can be used to make a creamy bechamel sauce for pasta or lasagna. Spinach-based lasagna with layers of blue cheese bechamel, sautéed spinach, hard-boiled eggs, mild cheese, and cashews is a delicious option.
Baked Potatoes
For a hearty meal, bake a potato and fill it with blue cheese, green onions, bacon, cheddar cheese, and sour cream. The tanginess of the blue cheese complements the other ingredients and enhances their flavours.
Flatbread and Polenta
Blue cheese melts beautifully on flatbread, providing a creamy texture. For an indulgent dish, try making a three-cheese polenta with whole-milk ricotta, blue cheese, and Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Desserts
While blue cheese is typically used in savoury dishes, it can also be a surprising and delightful ingredient in desserts. Try pairing it with dark chocolate, truffles, or honey. A unique Christmas tradition is to enjoy blue cheese with gingerbread cookies and hot mulled wine.
These are just a few ideas to get you started, but feel free to experiment and create your own blue cheese recipes!
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Frequently asked questions
Traditional pairings for blue cheese include fresh figs, pear and apple slices, dried fruits, walnuts, chutneys, jams, honey, truffles, chocolate, sherry, ports, stouts, and wine.
Blue cheese can be added to a variety of meals, including salads, sandwiches, burgers, pizzas, and pasta. It can also be used as a dip for hot wings or as a topping for steak.
Some specific blue cheese pairings include blue cheese and honey on crackers, blue cheese and pear focaccia, and blue cheese with dark chocolate.
Drinks that go well with blue cheese include sweet and sticky wines, apple or pear cider, black tea, and coffee.
