FOOD: The Big Cheese

If your family loves Cheddar cheese, these melt-in-the-mouth recipes are for you. 

Cauliflower, cheese and ham soufflés

serves: 4-6
preparation time: 15 minutes
oven temperature: 180 °C
baking time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• ½ cauliflower
• 60ml butter
• 200g thinly sliced ham, cut into small cubes
• 60ml cake flour
• 500ml full-cream milk
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 6 egg yolks, beaten
• 250g (625ml) Cheddar cheese to sprinkle on top

Preparation:

1. Break the cauliflower into individual florets and cook them in salted water until soft. Drain.
2. Grease the bowls or ramekins with butter. Divide the cauliflower among the bowls and sprinkle the ham on top.
3. Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the cake flour until mixed. Remove it from the plate and stir in the milk. Beat the mixture with a wire whisk until smooth and return the saucepan to the plate. Continue beating until the sauce is smooth and starts to boil. Remove from the plate and season with salt and black pepper. Gradually whisk in the egg yolks. Stir in the grated cheese, mustard and nutmeg.
4. Whisk the egg whites until stiff and then fold this in with a large metal spoon. Divide the mixture among the bowls or ramekins, sprinkle extra cheese on top if preferred, and bake the soufflés for about 15 minutes until golden brown and fully risen. Serve immediately.

Filled egg sandwiches with Cheddar and Bacon

serves: 4
preparation time: 10 minutes
cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 8 strips of rindless bacon
• 60ml sun-dried tomato pesto
• 8 slices of bread
• 500 ml (200 gr) Cheddar cheese, grated
• 6 eggs
• 60ml milk
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 60ml butter
• fresh rocket (optional)
• oven-roasted tomatoes (optional)

Preparation: 

1. Place the bacon on a baking sheet and place it under a preheated grill until crisp and golden brown.
2. Spread the pesto on four of the bread slices. Divide the Cheddar cheese between the four slices and place two strips of bacon on each slice. Close the sandwiches and press them down lightly.
3. Beat the eggs and milks and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pour the mixture into a dish and carefully place each sandwich in the egg mixture. Allow each sandwich to stand in the egg mixture for a while to absorb as much of it as possible.
4. Heat the butter in a pan and grill the sandwiches until golden brown and done. Place either a handful of rocket or oven-roasted tomatoes on each sandwich and serve.

Omelette with caramelised apples and mature Cheddar cheese

serves: 2
preparation time: 20 minutes
cooking time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 extra-large eggs, separated
• 15ml water
• 30ml butter
• 250ml (100 gr) mature Cheddar cheese, grated

for the apple filling:

• 50g butter
• 6 apples, cut into wedges
• 1ml cinnamon
• 60ml brandy
• 50ml (40gr) sugar

Preparation:

1. Prepare the apple filling: Heat the butter in a pan and fry the apple wedges until golden brown and soft. Sprinkle cinnamon on top and stir through. Add the brandy and sugar and stir until the sugar has dissolved and the apples have caramelized. Set the filling aside.
2. Prepare the omelets: Beat the egg yolks and water until mixed, Whisk the egg whites until they form firm peaks, then fold them into the egg yolks with a spoon.
3. Heat the butter in a frying pan and add half of the egg mixture. Fry it for a couple of minutes or until golden brown underneath.
4. Spoon half of the caramelized apples onto the omelet and sprinkle half of the cheese on top. Fold the omelet and slide it onto a plate. Repeat with the remaining egg mixture. Serve immediately.

Cheese straws with herbs

makes: 30 straws
preparation time: 15 minutes
oven temperature: 200 °C
baking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 rolls puff pastry (400gr each)
• 5ml fresh sage, chopped
• 5ml fresh rosemary or thyme, chopped
• 15ml fresh chives, chopped
• 250ml Cheddar cheese, finely grated
• 125ml pecorino cheese, finely grated

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven. Roll out one sheet of puff pastry on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle the herbs and grated cheese on top. Place the second sheet of puff pastry lightly on top of the first one but do not press it down. Use a ruler and a sharp knife to cut strips about 10-15mm in width through both sheets of pastry. Make space for the strips to expand while baking by removing every alternate strip and placing it on a second baking sheet.
2. Pick up each strip and twist it ones or twice. Be careful not to stretch the dough, Place the straws in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
3. Bake the straws for about 15 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Let the straws cool before removing them from the baking sheet.

TIP: If you have baked the straws beforehand and want to crisp them up, simply place them in a hot oven (200 °C) for 5 minutes before serving.

Risotto balls with Cheddar cheese

makes: about 20 balls
preparation time: 40 minutes plus cooling time
cooking time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 30ml butter
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 315ml (250gr) arborio rice
• 200ml dry white wine
• 750ml chicken stock
• 100ml cream
• 125ml (50gr) Cheddar cheese, grated
• 125ml (50gr) Parmesan cheese, grated
• 50g sun-dried tomatoes in vinaigrette, cut into strips
• a handful of fresh basil leaves, roughly shredded
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 20 cubes Cheddar cheese, each about 1cm in size
• cake flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• dry breadcrumbs
• oil for deep frying

Preparation:

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and stir-fry it over moderate heat for about a minute.
2. Stir in the rice until it is thoroughly covered with butter. Add the wine and stir continually until all the wine has been absorbed.
3. Keep the stock hot in a separate saucepan on the oven. Add it one ladleful a time to the risotto, stirring until all the liquid has been absorbed before adding the next ladleful. This will take about 20-25 minutes. By this time the rice will be cooked but still slightly firm.
4. Stir in the cream, Parmesan cheese, Cheddar cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and basil leaves. Season to taste and allow to cool.
5. Use your hands to shape the risotto unto bite-sized balls. Press a cube of Cheddar into each one and then dip the balls in the cake flour, followed by the beaten eggs and then the breadcrumbs.
6. Heat the oil in a saucepan and deep-fry the balls until golden brown. Drain the, on a piece of kitchen towel and serve warm.

Penne al forno

serves: 4-6
preparation time: 15 minutes
oven temperature: 180 °C
baking time: 35-40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 30 ml butter
• 500gr penne
• salt to taste
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 10ml mustard powder
• nutmeg to taste
• 500ml full-cream milk
• 400gr (4x250ml) mature Cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 bunch of spring onions, chopped
• paprika to taste

Preparation: 

1. Preheat the oven and grease an ovenproof dish with butter. Cook the penne in a large saucepan of salted water until al dente. Drain the pasta and return it to the saucepan. Stir in the butter and beaten eggs.
2. Mix the mustard powder with about 30ml boiling water and stir in into the pasta in the saucepan. Season to taste with nutmeg.
3. Stir in the milk, 300gr (3x250ml) grated cheese and spring onions until everything is thoroughly mixed and spoon it into the greased oven dish. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese and paprika on top. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until golden brown and set.