Bushra Griffith
Blue Stilton is an English cheese with a distinctive smell and taste, produced in the counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Nottinghamshire. It is made from pasteurized cow's milk and has a fudgy, crumbly texture. With its strong flavour, Blue Stilton is often paired with something sweet like chocolate or honey. It is also commonly eaten with celery or pears, or added as a flavouring to vegetable soup. Blue Stilton can be frozen and stored for later use, or incorporated into various dishes such as salads, soups, and sandwiches.
What to do with Blue Stilton Cheese
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Taste | Salty and savoury |
| Pairing | Honey, chocolate, celery, pears, crackers, biscuits, bread, salad, steak |
| Recipes | Stilton and honey tartine, soup, pithiver, potatoes |
| Storage | Wrap tightly and store in the refrigerator drawer or vegetable bin |
| Shelf Life | Harder blue cheeses can stay fresh for up to 2-3 weeks, softer blues may dry out after 2 weeks |
| Freezing | Can be frozen for up to 3 years |
| Manufacturing | Made from pasteurized cow's milk, pierced with stainless steel needles to create blue veins |
| Ripening | Takes 9-12 weeks |
| Origin | Produced in Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Nottinghamshire, England |
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What You'll Learn
Blue Stilton cheese with chocolate
Blue Stilton is a dense, fudgy, and crumbly blue cheese with a salty, savoury profile and bright, peppery blue flavour throughout. Its salty and savoury profile begs to be paired with something sweet, and chocolate is often a go-to pairing.
When it comes to pairing chocolate and cheese, it's not just about the bars; chocolate confections like caramels, bonbons, ganaches, truffles, chocolate-covered snacks, and spreads offer unique textures and layered tastes when combined with cheese. The varying densities and fat content of chocolate and cheese play a significant role in how they pair together. For example, a creamy, heavy cheese may pair better with a crisp, lighter chocolate to prevent flavour overlap and heaviness on the tongue.
When it comes to specific chocolate and Blue Stilton pairings, dark chocolate with its intense flavour can complement the bold, pungent notes of Blue Stilton. Ruby Couverture, a type of chocolate with a creamy berry flavour and sweet and tart notes, is another excellent match for Blue Stilton. Its fruity and tangy profile will enhance the savoury, salty, and peppery characteristics of the cheese.
In terms of serving suggestions, a simple option is to pair Blue Stilton with chocolate confections like caramels, truffles, or chocolate-covered snacks. For a more indulgent experience, create a charcuterie board with Blue Stilton, chocolate, and other complementary foods like crackers, bread, fruits, nuts, and honey. If you're feeling creative, you can incorporate Blue Stilton and chocolate into recipes like a beef Wellington, where the pastry provides a textural contrast to the creamy cheese and the chocolate adds a layer of sweetness.
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Blue Stilton cheese soup
Blue Stilton is a versatile English cheese that can be used in a variety of dishes, including soups. A popular option is Broccoli and Stilton Soup, a traditional British soup that can be made in just 40 minutes using only 6 ingredients.
To make this soup, start by melting butter over medium-low heat in a Dutch oven or large saucepan. Add chopped onions, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until softened, which should take about 8 minutes. Next, add a splash of water, a sliced celery stick, a sliced leek, a diced medium potato, and a knob of butter. Stir until the butter has melted, then cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Now it's time to add the broccoli. You can reserve a small uncooked broccoli floret, cut it into small pieces, and blanch it in boiling water for 1 minute to use as a garnish later. Cut the rest of the broccoli into small pieces and add them to the saucepan. Pour in enough vegetable broth to reach your desired soup consistency and bring it to a boil.
Once the soup is boiling, stir in crumbled Blue Stilton, allowing a few lumps to remain. Season with black pepper, and you're ready to serve. For a stylish presentation, scatter the reserved blanched broccoli pieces and some extra crumbled Blue Stilton on top of each bowl of soup.
This soup can be adjusted to your taste preferences and ingredient availability. For example, you can use cauliflower or Romanesco broccoli (Roman cauliflower) instead of, or in combination with, the broccoli. You can also use different types of blue cheese, such as French Roquefort or Italian Gorgonzola. If you want a creamier soup, stir in some heavy cream or crème fraiche just before serving, but be aware that freezing the soup after adding cream is not recommended as it can cause splitting.
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Blue Stilton cheese with pears
Blue Stilton is a popular variety of British blue cheese, known for its salty, earthy flavour and blue mold veins. It is a versatile cheese that can be used in a variety of dishes, including those featuring pears.
One option is to make a roasted pear and blue cheese dish. To prepare this, you can slice ripe but firm pears in half lengthwise, remove the core and seeds, and fill the well with crumbled blue cheese, dried cranberries, and walnuts. The pears can then be baked and basted with a mixture of apple cider, port, and brown sugar until tender. This dish combines the sweetness of the pears with the salty, pungent flavour of the blue cheese, creating a burst of flavours and textures.
Another option is to make blue cheese-stuffed pears. This involves stuffing halved and cored pears with blue cheese, walnuts, and thyme, and then baking them until the cheese melts. The pears can be drizzled with honey and garnished with flaky salt and extra thyme before serving. This combination of salty, savoury blue cheese and the subtle sweetness of the pears creates an elegant and delicious appetizer.
Blue Stilton and pear tarts are another option for a simple yet beautiful appetizer. This dish is made by mixing sliced pears with a beaten egg and nutmeg, filling tart shells with the mixture, and then crumbling Stilton on top before drizzling with honey and baking until golden.
In addition to these more complex dishes, Blue Stilton and pears can also be enjoyed together in simpler ways. Blue Stilton can be served on a cheese board with pear slices, or it can be paired with a sweet wine, such as port, and enjoyed with pear slices on the side.
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Blue Stilton cheese sauce
Blue Stilton is a variety of English cheese that is known for its distinctive smell and taste. It is produced in the counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Nottinghamshire and uses pasteurized local milk. It is a versatile cheese that can be enjoyed in many ways, including as an ingredient in a rich and creamy sauce.
Ingredients:
- Butter
- Shallots or onions
- Garlic
- Double cream (heavy cream)
- Blue Stilton cheese
- Pepper
- Worcestershire sauce (optional)
Instructions:
- Melt butter in a pan over medium heat.
- Add finely chopped shallots or onions and sauté for 3-4 minutes until softened.
- Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Pour in the double cream and bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Add crumbled Blue Stilton cheese and stir continuously over low heat until the cheese has melted and the sauce has thickened. This should take about 5 minutes.
- Season with pepper and, optionally, Worcestershire sauce, to taste.
- For a thicker sauce, continue simmering over low heat, stirring frequently.
This sauce pairs well with steak, salads, breadsticks, or vegetables like potatoes. It can also be used as a dipping sauce or drizzled over meats.
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Blue Stilton cheese storage
Blue Stilton cheese is a variety of English cheese produced in the counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Nottinghamshire. It is known for its distinctive blue veins, created by piercing the crust to allow air into the core during the manufacturing process. When it comes to storing Blue Stilton cheese, here are some detailed instructions to ensure its longevity and maintain its quality:
Climate Conditions:
Blue Stilton cheese prefers a humid environment, ideally maintained at around 80% humidity. This helps keep the cheese paste fresh and prevents it from drying out. However, it is crucial to balance humidity with adequate airflow to avoid trapping moisture, which can lead to the growth of unwanted bacteria and the rapid degradation of the cheese.
Wrapping and Container:
Avoid using plastic wrap for Blue Stilton cheese storage. Instead, opt for cheese paper or parchment paper, which allows the cheese to breathe while protecting it from excessive oxygen exposure. Wrap the cheese slightly looser than other cheeses to prevent trapping moisture, which can promote bacterial growth. Consider storing the wrapped cheese in a plastic container or Tupperware to contain its pungent aroma and prevent flavour transfer to other foods in the refrigerator.
Storage Space:
Allocate a separate container or drawer for Blue Stilton cheese to prevent flavour transfer to other cheeses. Additionally, ensure proper spacing between different types of cheeses to allow each variety to create its own microclimate.
Regular Inspection:
Blue Stilton cheese requires more frequent attention than harder cheeses. Check on it every few days to ensure it remains in optimal condition. Look for signs of foul odour, unusual growth, or significant changes in texture or appearance.
Freezing:
If you have a large quantity of Blue Stilton cheese, consider freezing it in wedges wrapped in plastic and placed in a freezer bag. Properly stored, it can maintain its quality for several years.
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Frequently asked questions
Blue Stilton is an English cheese produced in two varieties: blue and white. The blue variety has Penicillium roqueforti added to generate a characteristic smell and taste. It is often eaten with celery or pears and is commonly added as a flavouring to vegetable soup.
Blue Stilton cheese can be stored in the refrigerator, wrapped tightly in aluminium foil. Harder varieties of the cheese can stay fresh for up to two to three weeks when unopened, while softer varieties may start to dry out after two weeks. Blue Stilton cheese can also be frozen; simply wrap wedges in plastic, put them in a freezer bag, and suck out the air with a straw.
Blue Stilton cheese can be used in a variety of recipes, including:
- Stilton and honey tartine
- French puff pastry pie
- Blue cheese sauce to be served with steak
- Salad with crumbled Blue Stilton
- Soup with vegetables and/or potatoes, topped with Blue Stilton
Almost half of the UK's consumption of Blue Stilton occurs during the holidays, particularly at Christmas, when it is often doused in port wine.
