Kamil Perry
Blue cheese is a versatile ingredient that can be used in a variety of dishes, from salads and sandwiches to burgers and pizzas. It can also be enjoyed on its own or as part of a cheese platter. When it comes to pairing blue cheese with other foods and drinks, the options are endless. Sweet pairings such as honey, dried fruit, apple or pear slices, and chocolate are popular choices to balance out the saltiness of the cheese. Blue cheese also pairs well with walnuts, truffles, chutneys, jams, and compotes. In terms of drinks, blue cheese is often paired with wine, especially port and sweet dessert wines. It can also be enjoyed with craft beer, stout, porter, whiskey, and gin.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Fruits | Figs, apple or pear slices, dried fruits, dried cherries |
| Nuts | Walnuts |
| Condiments | Honey, jams, chutneys, fruit compotes |
| Drinks | Port, sherry, stout, wine, craft beer, whiskey, gin |
| Meat | Red meat, beef, bacon |
| Bread | Baguette, flatbread, crostini |
| Other foods | Chocolate, truffle, crackers, polenta, quesadillas, salad |
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What You'll Learn
Blue cheese and fruit
Blue cheese is a versatile cheese that can be paired with a variety of fruits to create delicious and complex flavour profiles. The sharp, tangy, and salty notes of blue cheese are beautifully balanced by the sweetness of fruits, creating a delightful contrast that enhances the overall taste experience.
Fresh fruits such as apples, pears, and figs are classic pairings with blue cheese. The crisp sweetness of apples and pears provides a refreshing contrast to the richness of blue cheese, while the natural sweetness of figs complements the salty tanginess of the cheese. These fresh fruits add a burst of flavour and a refreshing texture to the dense creaminess of blue cheese.
Dried fruits are also an excellent option to pair with blue cheese. Dried cherries, apricots, raisins, and other dried fruits provide a concentrated burst of sweetness that balances the sharpness of blue cheese. The contrast between the moist, creamy cheese and the chewy texture of dried fruits creates an interesting sensory experience.
Fruit compotes and condiments, such as chutneys and jams, are another way to incorporate fruit into blue cheese pairings. These sweet and tangy spreads can be paired with stronger, more pungent blue cheeses to create a flavourful combination. The sweetness of the compote or chutney balances the sharpness of the cheese, while the tanginess of the spread enhances the overall flavour profile.
In addition to fresh and dried fruits, nuts such as walnuts are often included in blue cheese and fruit pairings. Toasted walnuts, especially when glazed with honey or sugar, add a crunchy texture and a subtle sweetness that complements the salty tang of blue cheese. This combination provides a well-rounded sensory experience, engaging both the taste buds and the sense of crunch.
When creating blue cheese and fruit pairings, it is important to consider the specific type of blue cheese being used. Some blue cheeses are milder and creamier, while others are sharper and more pungent. The intensity of the cheese will influence the choice of fruit pairing, with milder cheeses pairing well with subtle flavours and stronger cheeses standing up to bolder, sweeter pairings.
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Blue cheese and meat
Blue cheese has a natural meatiness that makes it a great pairing with red meat. A creamy blue cheese is a good option for burgers, or a roast beef sandwich. For a summer dish, try a salad of beef, Gorgonzola, and fresh heirloom tomatoes. Or, for a heartier meal, a steak frites with a Roquefort sauce.
If you're a fan of bacon, try a blue cheese with notes of bacon, such as Rogue Creamery's Smokey Blue, which also has notes of sweet cream. This pairs well with a porter bar infused with espresso and barley. For a more classic combination, blue cheese is a great match for farmhouse or craft beers, especially an India Pale Ale, or a stout or porter.
For those who enjoy a tipple with their meal, blue cheese is a natural pairing with red wine, especially sweeter dessert wines like Sauternes, Vin Santo, or port. If you're serving a younger, more acidic blue cheese, try pairing it with a wine that has its own acidity, such as a Riesling or a Gewürztraminer.
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Blue cheese and honey
Blue cheese is a bold and pungent cheese with a strong flavour and high acidity. Its sharp, tangy taste is often balanced by sweet foods such as honey.
Honey is a classic pairing with blue cheese, and the two are often served together as a simple, easy-to-make appetiser. To make this, bring the blue cheese to room temperature, crumble it, and then drizzle honey over the top. You can serve this with sliced baguette, crackers, or celery sticks. You can also make a more complex version of this appetiser by dipping a blue cheese wedge in flour, beaten egg, and panko crumbs before baking it and then drizzling with hot honey.
The sweetness of the honey balances the saltiness of the blue cheese, creating a harmonious flavour combination. This pairing also works well because the honey helps to spread the blue cheese's flavour across your tongue, allowing you to taste it more fully.
For the best results, it is recommended to use a high-quality honey, such as a creamed and spreadable version or one that drizzles easily. Similarly, a good-quality, tempered butter can be added to a baguette with thick slices of blue cheese and honey to create a delicious flavour combination.
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Blue cheese and beer
Blue cheese is a versatile cheese that can be paired with a variety of beverages, including beer, wine, and whiskey. When it comes to beer, the right choice will depend on the specific type of blue cheese and its characteristics. Here are some tips and suggestions for pairing blue cheese with beer:
The strong and pungent nature of blue cheese allows for sweeter pairings. Look for beers with gentle peaty or smoky notes, balanced by a slight caramel character, such as those found in some oak-aged beers. Connemara Whiskey, for example, is noted as a particularly good match for blue cheese.
When pairing blue cheese with beer, consider the contrast between the piquancy of the cheese and the characteristics of the beer. For instance, the sharpness of a blue cheese can amplify the hoppiness of an India Pale Ale (IPA). On the other hand, the same blue cheese can contrast with the creamy mouthfeel of a stout or porter, highlighting the complexity of flavours in both the cheese and the beer.
If you're looking for specific beer recommendations to pair with your blue cheese, here are some suggestions:
- Cashel Blue® with Chimay Blue or craft Irish porters like Eight Degrees Brewing Knockmealdown and White Gypsy Russian Imperial Stout.
- Crozier Blue with Irish whiskey like Jameson (especially a 12-year-old variant).
- Younger, more acidic blue cheeses like Cashel Blue® with a zesty Riesling or Gewurztraminer as an aperitif.
- More mature, less acidic blue cheeses like Crozier Blue with a subtle Tawny Port or a sweet dessert wine.
Remember, when pairing blue cheese with beer or any other beverage, it's essential to consider the specific characteristics of the cheese and how you want the pairing to complement or contrast each other. Enjoy experimenting with different combinations to find your favourite pairings!
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Blue cheese and wine
Blue cheese is a strong-flavoured, pungent cheese with a unique, bold acidity. Its complex flavour profile means it can be paired with a wide variety of wines, from sweet dessert wines to robust reds.
Sweet Wines
The strong, salty, and sharp nature of blue cheese means it pairs well with sweeter wines, such as port, sherry, ice wines, and other dessert wines. A mature blue cheese, such as Cashel Blue, is best served with a subtle Tawny Port. Younger, more acidic blue cheeses, like Cashel Blue or Crozier Blue, are complemented by wines with their own strong acidity, such as Gewurztraminer or Riesling.
Red Wines
Blue cheese is traditionally paired with red wines, especially the sweet dessert wine, Sauternes. A robust Italian red, Vin Santo, is also a good match for blue cheese.
White Wines
Blue cheese can also be paired with white wines, such as the zesty German Mosel Riesling, which has a touch of sweetness.
Other Drinks
Blue cheese is also enjoyed with other drinks, such as stout, porter, and craft beer, which can be paired according to their hoppiness or creaminess. Blue cheese is also traditionally enjoyed with whiskey, especially Connemara Whiskey, and more recently, gin has been a popular pairing with farmhouse cheeses.
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Frequently asked questions
Blue cheese is often paired with food that is sweet, such as honey, dried fruit, apple or pear slices, chocolate, and jams. It is also commonly paired with walnuts, crackers, baguette, and meat, especially beef.
Blue cheese is often paired with port, stout, sherry, and wine, especially red wine. It can also be paired with gin, whiskey, and craft beer.
Blue cheese is often used in recipes such as salads, sandwiches, burgers, and pizzas. It can also be used in crostini, flatbread, polenta, quesadillas, macaroni and cheese, and soups.
